1. Rockets
Aerospace

2. Today’s Topics History of Rocketry Define a rocket
Examine the physics behind rocketry
Define the mechanics of a rocket
Name the 4 major systems of a rocket

3. History of Rocketry
Chinese were using rockets in the early 13th century
As early as the 15th century rockets constructed with gunpowder were used in war
Colonel William Congreve
British artillery expert
Refined gunpowder for rockets & created stabilizing guides
Increased launch range from 300 yards to a few thousand

4. History of Rocketry Dr. Robert Goddard Father of Modern Rocketry
First scientist to use liquid propellants (gas and liquid oxygen) in a rocket (1926)
Goddard’s research along with Hermann Oberth was the catalyst for the German V-2 rockets used in WWII
V-2

5. Newton’s Laws & Rocketry
1st Law: A body in a state of rest and a body in motion tend to remain at rest or in uniform motion unless acted upon by some outside force.
Law of inertia
The thrust must be greater than
the weight of the rocket
Example: Apollo spacecraft weighted
6,000,000 lbs. & the Saturn V rocket
produced 7,500,000 lbs of thrust

6. Newton’s Laws & Rocketry
2nd Law: The rate of change in the momentum of a body is proportional to the force acting upon the body and is in the direction of the force.
At liftoff a rocket seems very slow
because its mass is only slightly less
then the thrust being produced
however, as the launch progress its
speed increases because it weighs
less but is producing the same thrust

7. Newton’s Laws & Rocketry
3rd Law: To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
The thrust produced in a
rocket is a reactive force
acting in a direction opposite
to the direction of the
exhaust.

8. Rocket Systems Modern rockets consist of four major systems
The airframe system
The propulsion system
The guidance system
The control system

9. Airframe System Contains the other systems and to provide aerodynamics
Must be structurally strong but lightweight
Capable of withstanding extreme heat,
vibration and stress.

10. Propulsion System Consists of the following: Propellant used
Containers for the propellant
All the plumbing of the system

11. Guidance & Control System
The brain of the rocket
A self-contained electronic unit that employs a computer for tracking
Computer is preprogrammed for the desired flight trajectory
Changes can be made post lift off
Control: Follows the directions put forth by the guidance system

12. Types of Rockets Solid-Fuel Rockets Liquid-Fuel Rockets
Solid propellant is called grain
Composed of fuel and oxidizer mixture
Fuel burns in the combustion chamber and exhaust escapes through a nozzle
Cannot stop a solid rocket once started
Liquid-Fuel Rockets
Powered by fuel and oxidizer
Stored in separate tanks
Can shutdown engine once takeoff begins

13. Forces Affecting Flight
Thrust
Force generated by the rocket engine
Gravity
Downward force applied to all objects on earth
Drag
Amount of resistance or friction on the rocket as it flies

14. Airframe-Propulsion-Guidance-Control
Review
Who is the father of modern rocketry?
What was the name of rocket used by the Germans in WWII?
What are the four major systems of a rocket?
What are the two types of rockets?
Robert Goddard
V-2
Airframe-Propulsion-Guidance-Control
Solid & Liquid Rockets

15. Assignment
First read ch. 12 Section A in the Aviation Fundamentals book and complete questions 1-12 in the workbook
Start designing for your H2O rocket project
Refer to the rubric for the details of the assignment