It's nowhere near as good as hydrogen for ISP, it's just slightly better than RP1. And it has lower density than RP1 as well.
It's a good compromise, however, as well as being cheap and easy to simulate the combustion of.
It's a good compromise, however, as well as being cheap and easy to simulate the combustion of.
I understand why Raptors use methalox, as it can be produced on Mars. But many of these new rockets are not destined to be refueled on Mars.
It’s not the best choice for an high-budget high-performance expendable multi-stage rocket. Using kerolox/SRBs in the first stage and hydrolox in the second stage gives better overall performance.
Metholox is better for re-use, using the same engine in multiple stages lowers costs and complexity, and you can produce the fuel on Mars.