652695 external_news 1636574151 1636736251 There are many types of rocket fuel. Some are more useful on a particular planet. And some can be created by bacteria. A team from Georgia Tech has found a rocket fuel with an interesting mix of those characteristics that might be a focal point of in-situ resource utilization — on Mars. 2.3 butanediol might not be a household name like methane, which is commonly used as rocket fuel on Earth. It’s primarily used in the manufacture of rubber products. But it does pack quite a punch when burned with liquid oxygen. Enough of a punch to be able to lift a spaceship into orbit on the Red Planet. Pamela Peralta-Yahya, associate professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, is part of the Georgia Tech research team. This report was also covered in Brinkwire and Popular Science. 

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