Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

childrens_illustrated_encyclopedia_template_US_layer_v1

The invenTion of The rockeT engine was a landmark in

history. not only did it give humans a tool with which to explore space,

but it also produced the missile, a weapon of terrible destructive power.

A rocket engine is the most powerful of all engines. it has the

power to accelerate a spacecraft to more than 25,000 mph

(40,000 km/h), the speed necessary for it to break free

from earth’s gravity. in a rocket engine, fuel burns

to produce gases that rush out of the nozzle at the

back, thrusting the rocket forward. however,

unlike other engines, rockets do not need to

use oxygen from the air to burn their fuel.

instead, they carry their own supply of

oxygen, usually in the form of a liquid,

so that they can operate in space

where there is no air. There

is one major difference

between a missile and

a space rocket: missiles

carry an explosive

warhead instead

of a satellite or

human cargo.

DevelopmenT of rockeTs

in the 13th century, the chinese used

a simple type of rocket powered by

gunpowder to scare enemy horses. six

hundred years later, englishman sir William

congreve developed a gunpowder rocket

that the english forces used during the

napoleonic Wars. During World War ii

(1941-45), german scientist Wernher

von Braun invented the first successful

long-range rocket, the v-2, the

forerunner of the icBm.

First stage with four

liquid-propellant

rocket engines

Types of missiles

huge intercontinental

ballistic missiles

(icBms) blast up

into space and come

down on their targets

thousands of miles

away. however, not all

rocket-powered missiles

travel into space; many

have replaced guns for

short-range attacks

on tanks, ships, and

aircraft. many of these

missiles home in

on their targets

automatically.

ICBM

armed

with

nuclear

warhead

Anti-aircraft

missile,

usually

launched

from a ship

Radar-guided antiship missile.

It can be launched from the air,

from land, or from a warship.

Antitank missile,

guided to target

by remote control

Second stage with one

liquid-propellant rocket

Pumps push fuel and

oxidizer to the nozzle,

where they burn and

produce a violent rush

of hot gases that push

the rocket upward.

Tank containing highly

inflammable liquid fuel

Tank containing oxidizer, a

liquid that contains oxygen

Third stage with one

liquid-propellant rocket

Guidance systems keep

rocket on the correct course.

Vehicle equipment bay

contains satellite that

is being carried into orbit.

AriAne rockeT

Two solid-propellant

and two liquid-

propellant strap-on

booster rockets give

space rocket an extra

push in the first part

of its flight.

Size of rockets

compared to a child

4 ft (1.2 m) tall

Third stage fires for about

12 minutes, carrying its

satellite payload into orbit

about 200 miles (320 km)

above Earth’s surface.

nucleAr missiles

Deadly nuclear warheads

and precise navigational

systems make nuclear

missiles the most

dangerous weapons

in the history of

warfare. A single

warhead has the

power to destroy

a large city and cause

millions of deaths.

nuclear missiles can

be launched from

submarines, aircraft,

trucks, and hidden

underground launch sites.

Once first stage has

run out of fuel, it

falls away and

second stage takes

over, burning for

about two minutes.

Early

Chinese

rockets Find out more

Astronauts

and space travel

cold war

nuclear energy

space flight

submarines

Technology

World war ii

440

Rockets and missiles

First stage propels rocket for about three

minutes, by which time rocket is more

than 30 miles (50 km) above Earth.

rockeT sTAges

most space rockets are

made up of several stages,

or segments, each with its

own rocket engines and

propellant, or fuel. By

detaching the stages

as they are used, the

rocket can reach higher

speeds because its weight is kept

to a minimum. There are two main

types of rocket propellant: solid

and liquid. solid fuel burns

rapidly and cannot be controlled

once ignited. But rockets powered

by liquid propellant can be controlled by

opening and closing valves that adjust

the flow of fuel into the engine.

A few seconds after takeoff,

booster fuel is expended.

US_440_Rockets_Missiles.indd 440 22/01/16 4:47 pm