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Ignition!: An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants

John D. Clark

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  • Elon MuskRecommendation
    “a good book on rocket stuff…that’s a really fun one”
    Rutgers University Press prints Musk’s endorsement on the 2018 reissue page. He calls it an enjoyable book about rockets.
    Source

Summary

Rocket-fuel developer John D. Clark gives an eyewitness account of the search for reliable liquid rocket propellants. Part memoir and part history, the book describes rival laboratories developing powerful fuels through hazardous research. Its chapters cover different fuel and oxidizer families, performance and the technical problems of rocket propulsion. Isaac Asimov contributes the foreword.

  • SourceIgnition! — Rutgers University Press · Description; Musk endorsement; Contents; May 23, 2018 exact ISBN 9780813595832

Why read it Our view

Read it to understand the technical work behind a major new capability. Clark’s account gives you questions about performance, reliability, safety and what research teams learn while competing to solve difficult problems.