Space Propulsion

Space Propulsion

RESEARCH I/II LARRY PECAN FINAL REPORT 9-27-98 INTRODUCTION The following is a research project on Space Vehicle Propulsion. It shall consist of four sections, each discussing specific topics. Section One lays out the basic ideas of rocketry. Section Two

compares Rocket Propulsion Systems, and shows the basis for the comparison. It also shows how each specific Rocket System works and Section Three gives a description of how Space Propulsion has evolved and contains a conclusion. SECTION 1 The Basics Section One is a brie description of the basic properties of Rocket Systems. It defines the key terms and shows how a basic rocket works. It also shows the State if The Art. I have chosen to do my project on space vehicle propulsion. Basically, this means that my research shall be based primarily on rocketry.

Rocketry is a way of propulsion that has developed in numerous ways since it was first used to propel fireworks in the 16th century. It has emerged into an extremely complicated science that few actually understand. Most space rocketry in America is used in NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Association) space projects. NASA, a government association that focuses on space exploration, is the main user of rocket technology. It is used mostly to power their satellites and shuttles into space. Pushing an object that weighs as much as a space shuttle does directly vertical until escaping the Earth’s atmosphere requires a tremendous amount of power. This is why NASA uses rockets. Rockets are essentially the most powerful forms of propulsion there is today. Space Vehicle Propulsion is based rocket engines. The basic principle of rocket engine is that when fuel is burned in the engine, the reaction mass is expelled at high speeds. As a result of Newton’s law of action and reaction this pushes the vehicle in the opposite direction of the one in which the reaction mass is moving. Thrust is the force that the engine exerts on all space behind it in order to “push” the vehicle forward. Efficiency is the way that the quality of rocket engines is measured by. It is measured by the time it

takes for one kilogram of propellant to create one kilogram of thrust. The goal of my research is to find out what makes these engines more efficient. In rocketry, the state of the art is extremely hard to define, since there are so many different forms of rocketry ranging from liquid propellant rockets to fireworks.