[mattashii]

Glucose can be used as a component in solid fuels, you just need to find an oxidizer to mix in.

Alternatively, you can break it down into ethanol, which has been used as liquid rocket fuel since at least the first half of the '40s.

[PaulHoule]

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qassam_rocket

This classic book tells the story of liquid rocket fuel development

https://library.sciencemadness.org/library/books/ignition.pd...

You'd think that you could mix any of a wide range of fuels with a wide range of oxidizers and get a good rocket fuel but it does not really work that way, most combinations are pretty awful, including the ethanol + O2 used in the V2. There was a time when there was interest in "storable" liquid propellants but once solid propellants reached this level of maturity

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGM-30_Minuteman

those were obsolete.

It is hard to beat H2+oxygen or hydrocarbons+oxygen if you pick the right hydrocarbons (rocket kerosene isn't quite the kerosene you use in a lamp)

I'm not sure if ethylene is really that good of a rocket fuel. In the context of a space economy I see it as a "reactive carbon" substance which is easy to make other things out of, say,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene

in the sense that glucose is reactive carbon you can build structural carbohydrates and all sorts of biological molecules out of. There is talk about SpaceX establishing a methane economy on Mars, methane is definitely an easy to synthesize rocket fuel but it not very reactive and not on the path to making other things you might want.

[LargoLasskhyfv]

Reminds me of "UnkrautEx und Puderzucker".

Sort of early 'RoundUp' with high contents of Sodium chlorate combined with powdered sugar. Very dangerous! But fun :-)

Even more fun, but potentially fatal very fast would be Potassium chlorate.

But I've been cautious, and limited myself to selfmade blackpowder mostly, during the times one 'did that' as young boys with toys.

Still have all my fingers, no burn scars, full eyesight & hearing, though. Phew! :-)

[sharpshadow]

The early internet had some wild recipes online, almost unimaginable today. A bit curious how long I would have to dig to find those things, if at all, but really don’t feel to leave that trail.