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Regardless of what people have been taught, rockets need an atmosphere to work (no matter how weak that atmosphere is). The expanding force of the burnt propellant is what a rocket uses to thrust itself forward. The rocket is able to produce so much pressure for thrusting because of the presence of the external atmosphere the propellant has to push through, not against. (A rocket's fuel needs not push against anything).
If there were no atmosphere and a very strong vacuum, the propellant would flow and expand too freely to the outside of the craft too fast, and leave the chamber without enough pressure to create thrust. (Positive flows towards negative, yet it always chooses the path of least resistance to do so).
Already in earth's atmosphere, the majority of the propellant is not used for thrust but wasted through the atmosphere. If there were no atmosphere and a stronger vacuum even more would be wasted.
The plume caused by a rocket's exhaust becomes more and more invisible as altitude increases. The above explanation is the reason for this situation.
That's why shuttles/crafts only reach a certain altitude then orbit the planet.
Thermal thrusting would become inefficient beyond a certain degree of altitude.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoTechnicall, a spacecraft never leaves the earth's gravity. Earth's gravitational field permiates the entire universe and has an effect, although often an immeasurably minute one, on every other mass in the universe. However, if a rocket provides upward acceleration for a sufficient period of time that the spacecraft reaches a velocity of 25,000 mph relative to the earth, then the acceleration due to the earth's gravity will not be sufficient to cause it to ever to lose all of it's intitial velocity and so long as its velocity never reaches zero, it will never fall back down.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoA rocket's operation is based on Newton's Third Law. Basically, if the rocket pushes burning gases out, the gases push the rocket in the opposite direction.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoA rockets thrust is what makes it rise, with the force of that, it will be able to defy gravity. Once it leaves the atmosphere, there is no gravity for it to defy.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoBy using the slingshot effect.
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How does a rocket propel?
The gases in the fuel chamber of the rocket combust and push on the inside of the rocket, propeling it forward or upward. This is because in space there is nothing for a rocket to push of off, except itself.
What kind of fuel used to propel a rocket in to space?
Um, Rocket Fuel. It is a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen
How is space travel possible?
Modern day rocket has allowed for the design of vehicles that generate enough thrust to propel a person into space as well as life support system for a given period of time.
How would you propel a spacecraft in space?
if you mean a NASA rocket ship you would have boosters that drop off after you get so high then you are basically at the mercy of gravity to get you the rest of the way then you basically float in mid space.
Which rocket is used to launch the space shuttle?
Space shuttle generally launches itself with just a boost from two solid rocket boosters(SRBs) that are dropped soon after start. The element that gives the appearance of big rocket is actually an external fuel tank.
How does a rocket propel?
The gases in the fuel chamber of the rocket combust and push on the inside of the rocket, propeling it forward or upward. This is because in space there is nothing for a rocket to push of off, except itself.
What is pojectile in physics?
A projectile is any moving object which does not propel itself. For example a rocket burns fuel to propel itself through the sky whilst a shell fired from a cannon has no way to propel itself.
What kind of fuel used to propel a rocket in to space?
Um, Rocket Fuel. It is a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen
What did they use to propel the early space shuttles into space?
Same: solid rocket boosters and liquid hydrogen/oxygen main engines.
Applications of rocket engine?
Mostly to propel rockets, those going into space, and those carrying explosives.
How did Apollo 9 reach its required speed?
the rocket it was attached had enough thrust to propel the combined weights of the spacecraft and the rocket itself to over 17,500 mph.
What is a engine used on a spaceship?
There are actually two types of boosters that were both used by the space shuttle before their decommission. To propel the vehicle out into space from the surface of the earth out past the atmosphere, the shuttle used SRB's, or Solid Rocket Boosters. The engines on the actual shuttle are LRB's, or Liquid Rocket Boosters. These are used to propel the space vehicle further into space and into orbit around the earth.
Action-reaction engines that propel an object forward?
a rocket
How is space travel possible?
Modern day rocket has allowed for the design of vehicles that generate enough thrust to propel a person into space as well as life support system for a given period of time.
How would you propel a spacecraft in space?
if you mean a NASA rocket ship you would have boosters that drop off after you get so high then you are basically at the mercy of gravity to get you the rest of the way then you basically float in mid space.
What is the name of action reaction engines that propel an object forward?
rocket
What did they use Rocket arrows for?
To propel there arrows father and with more force.
