Rockets are
Sept. 21, 2010
This is my 1st Rocket page.
This article is part of the NASA Knows! (Grades 5-8) series.
When most people think of a rocket, they think of a tall round vehicle that flies into space.
But the word "rocket" can mean two different things. The word can describe a type of engine.
The word rocket also is used to talk about a vehicle that uses a rocket engine.
Like many other engines, a rocket produces thrust by burning fuel. Most rocket engines turn the fuel into hot gas.
Pushing the gas out of the back of the engine makes the rocket move forward.
A rocket is different from a jet engine. A jet engine requires oxygen from the air to work. A rocket engine carries everything it needs.
That is why a rocket engine works in space, where there is no air.
There are two main types of rocket engines. Some rockets use liquid fuel. The main engines on the space shuttle orbiter use liquid fuel.
The Russian Soyuz uses liquid fuels. Other rockets use solid fuels. On the side of the space shuttle are two white
solid rocket boosters.
They use solid fuels. Fireworks and model rockets also fly in
to space using solid fuels.
| S:No | The Planet it goes to | The Planet it comes back to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mars | Earth |