What Is Rocket Propulsion?

A rocket contains solid chemicals which burn to produce a high velocity blast of hot gases. Space rockets have liquid fuels together with a supply of liquid oxygen to enable the fuel to burn. In either case, the large force created by chemical reaction propels out hot gases through the tail nozzle with a very high velocity. The reaction to this force propels the rocker forward. Though the mass of gases escaping per second is very small, their momentum is very large due to their tremendous velocity of escape. An equal and opposite momentum is imparted to the rocket which, despite its large mass, build up a high velocity.

The engine in a jet aeroplane works on the same principle as a rocket but there is a difference in the method of obtaining the high velocity gas jet. The fuel used in a jet engine is kerosene (paraffin). While rockets carry their own oxygen supply, jet engines draw air out of the atmosphere. Therefore, jet engines cannot be used to propel vehicles into outer space where there is no atmosphere.

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