History of rockets

rocket a device that expels gases in one direction

to move in the opposite direction

History of rockets originated in China - 1100’s arrows coated and set on fire - 1200’s using gun powder inside rockets British - 1800’s used rockets against Americans War of 1812, “Star Spangled Banner”

Modern Rockets early 1900’s advanced designs

- Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (Russian) - Robert Goddard ( American)

Major advances - Wernher von Bruan World War II designed German’s V2 rocket came to US to work in space program

How do rockets work?

a rocket moves forward when gases shooting out the back of the rocket push it in the opposite direction

Newton’s Third Law of Motion For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction

thrust the reaction force that propels a rocket forward

velocity speed in a given direction

orbital the velocity a rocket must achieve to establishvelocity orbit around Earth

escape the velocity a rocket must reach to fly beyond

velocity a planet’s gravitational pull

Rocket Fuel

solid fuel dry chemical mixed with oxygenliquid fuel both oxygen and fuel are liquid,

separate containers until mixedion fuel expel gas ions at high speed

less thrust, fuel efficient.

Multistage rocketsmain advantage is that the total weight of the rocket is greatly reduced as rocket rises

Saturn V rockets – made it possible to reach the

moon and beyond