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For exactly the same reason that an inflated balloon goes br-pl-br-pl-br-pl around

the room when you leave the end open and let go of it.

-- There's pressure inside an enclosed volume.

-- You open a hole in the volume.

-- Now there's a small area on the boundary of the volume where there's no pressure.

-- But the area on the boundary directly opposite that one still has pressure on it.

-- The pair of forces on those two little areas isn't balanced any more.

The forward force is still there, but the backward force isn't.

-- There is a net force in the direction opposite to the hole in the boundary.

-- Net force produces acceleration in that direction.

Another way to look at it:

-- There's a little hole in the space ship, and something is coming out of it.

-- Whatever it is has momentum in the backwards direction.

-- If momentum must be conserved ..., and it must ... then the rocket ship must have

the same amount of momentum in the forward direction.

-- The more momentum leaks out the back, the more forward momentum the ship

must pick up.

-- Same effect as if you started out on a cruise ship with 1,000 people aboard, and

one at a time, each one realized that he left the lawn sprinkler running and he needed

to get back home right away, and one at a time, each one jumped off the stern in the

direction of home.

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13y ago

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What do rockets have to do with space exploration?

Oh, i don't know. Maybe because we need tham to actually explore space! That's right, rockets are mainly or always used to get up into space... without them we won't be able to get up there in the first place!


Why do space shuttle float on space?

A space shuttle is able to float because there is no gravity in space.


How are spacecraft able to launch into space?

By using the law of action and reaction. The rockets that launch spacecraft expel huge amounts of hot gas from burning fuel out of their exhausts, and this pushes the rocket (vehicle) upward in a rapid acceleration. This is necessary to overcome the force of gravity that pulls down on everyone and everything on the Earth. When the spacecraft is moving fast enough (escape velocity), it is able to enter an orbit around the Earth. From orbit, spacecraft can use smaller rockets to leave Earth entirely, and travel to the Moon or to other planets. The limit to this is that you need to use lots of energy to get to space, and even more to go anywhere else. All of the fuel has to lift its own weight as well as the craft (payload), so this takes very large rockets and huge amounts of fuel.


What are the pros of using rockets?

Rockets are able to carry heavy payloads into space, making them ideal for launching satellites, spacecraft, and cargo. They offer a quick and direct path to space with high speed, enabling efficient travel to other planets or celestial bodies. They are versatile and can be used for various missions, such as satellite deployment, crewed missions, and scientific research.


How does a spaceship get into space?

In reality, we do not yet have true space ships. The closest things we have to them are space capsules and the Space Shuttle, which get to space in top of rockets. In fiction, and probably in reality if we ever do that, space ships will be assembled in space - in orbit - and will never land on a planet.

Related Questions

Are Rockets able to accelerate in space?

Yes, that is why they are used in space.


Why are rockets good for space travel?

Rockets aren't necessarily good for space travel they are a necessity. You cant leave earth without a rocket... you wont be able to break through the atmosphere.


What are rockets?

Rockets are a massive breakthrough in science and are the first machines to be able to bring men in to space. They have massive engines that can go at high speeds to be able to take the rocket through the atmosphere.


What do rockets have to do with space exploration?

Oh, i don't know. Maybe because we need tham to actually explore space! That's right, rockets are mainly or always used to get up into space... without them we won't be able to get up there in the first place!


Why are rockets important?

Rockets are needed to lift payloads into space, whether it's to launch a satellite into an orbit around earth or to send a probe out into our solar system and beyond. A lot of speed is required to be able to escape the gravity of the earth. This is provided by the rocket and the huge amount of fuel.


Do rockets run out of oxygen in space?

Rockets carry onboard oxygen for combustion to generate thrust, so they can run out of oxygen if not enough is supplied. However, in space, rockets do not need oxygen from the atmosphere to operate as they bring their own supply. Once the oxygen stored onboard is consumed, the rocket will no longer be able to generate thrust and will not be able to maneuver or maintain its intended trajectory.


What is Tsiolkovsky contribution?

Tsiokovsky devised many ideas like multi-staged rockets and liquid fuels to be used in rockets for space travel. Being a mathematician, he was also able to make many accurate calculations. More importantly, why Tsiokovsky is so important is because all these ideas that he devised were theoretical, and are employed even today in space travel. eg Saturn V


Why do space shuttle float on space?

A space shuttle is able to float because there is no gravity in space.


Why are rockets important to humans?

The two stock answers are 1) military applications and 2) research and scientific discovery. Later (as offshoots of scientific research) we developed tons of commercial applications that hinge on rocket launched technology like communications links, weather satellites, entertainment platforms, etc.


How are objects able to accelerate?

When the forces on an object are unbalanced, the object will accelerate in the direction of the net force.


Why are things like rockets able to fly?

Thrust


How are spacecraft able to launch into space?

By using the law of action and reaction. The rockets that launch spacecraft expel huge amounts of hot gas from burning fuel out of their exhausts, and this pushes the rocket (vehicle) upward in a rapid acceleration. This is necessary to overcome the force of gravity that pulls down on everyone and everything on the Earth. When the spacecraft is moving fast enough (escape velocity), it is able to enter an orbit around the Earth. From orbit, spacecraft can use smaller rockets to leave Earth entirely, and travel to the Moon or to other planets. The limit to this is that you need to use lots of energy to get to space, and even more to go anywhere else. All of the fuel has to lift its own weight as well as the craft (payload), so this takes very large rockets and huge amounts of fuel.