Carla Mooney - Rocketry: Investigate the Science and Technology of Rockets and Ballistics

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ISBN Softcover: 978-1-61930-236-5

ISBN Hardcover: 978-1-61930-232-7

Illustrations by Caitlin Denham

Educational Consultant, Marla Conn

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CONTENTS

INTERESTED IN PRIMARY SOURCES?

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Have you ever seen the launch of a rocket ? While the imposing rocket rests on the launch pad , it looms larger than a 10-story building. Then the countdown begins. T minus 15 seconds and counting... ten, nine... ignition sequence start... six, five, four...

The rockets engines come to life with a roar. Steam pours from the rockets base. The rocket rises slowly, lifting its massive body straight into the air. With flames shooting from its tail, the rocket blasts into the sky. In less than a minute, it is traveling faster than the speed of sound .

WORDS TO KNOW

launch: to fire up into the air.

rocket: a machine that pushes itself forward by pushing out material such as hot gas.

launch pad: the platform from which a rocket launches.

speed of sound: the speed at which sound travels. In the air at sea level, this is 755 miles per hour (1,215 kilometers per hour).

As the rockets solid- fuel boosters burn out, they detach from the main rocket body and fall away. A few minutes later, the rockets first stage detaches and is discarded. The second stage ignites. About 10 minutes after launch, the rocket and its payload are in space.

WORDS TO KNOW

fuel: a material used to produce heat or power.

booster: a rocket used to give another craft the power needed for takeoff.

stage: a smaller rocket that is stacked with other rockets and detaches when its fuel is used up.

payload: the cargo of a rocket, such as an explosive charge, instruments, or astronauts .

cargo: goods or materials that are carried or transported by a vehicle.

astronaut: a person trained for spaceflight.

vehicle: a machine that moves people and things from one place to another.

expel: to drive or push out.

warhead: the part of a missile that holds an explosive charge.

infrastructure: basic facilities such as roads, power plants, and communication systems.

missile: an object or weapon that is propelled toward a target.

propel: to drive or move forward.

ROCKETRY IS THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, OPERATION, AND LAUNCHING OF ROCKETS.

Welcome to the amazing world of rocketry! Not long ago, rockets could only be found in science fiction. Today, real rockets are the fastest, most powerful vehicles on Earth and in outer space.

WHAT IS A ROCKET?

A rocket is a machine that pushes itself forward by expelling material such as hot gas. Rockets come in many sizes and are used in different ways.

The first known rockets were military rockets carrying explosive warheads to attack enemy positions and infrastructure . The smallest military rocket can be launched from a handheld launcher. Massive missiles can be launched from one continent and hit a target on another continent.

Military rockets can be launched from the ground or from a vehicle. Ships, submarines, helicopters, fighter jets, and land vehicles can launch military rockets.

Some rockets are launch vehicles. A launch vehicle carries a payload, such as people, satellites , or robot probes into space. Satellite launch vehicles put satellites into orbit around the earth. These satellites are used for many things, including weather forecasting, entertainment, research, and communications. Some rocket launch vehicles carry scientific equipment and probes into space to study planets, galaxies, stars, and other astronomical objects.

SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING ROCKET LAUNCHES ARE THE ONES THAT CARRY ASTRONAUTS INTO SPACE.

WORDS TO KNOW

satellite: an object that orbits another object in space.

robot probe: a machine that travels into space to find out more about space and send information back to the earth.

orbit: the path of an object circling another object in space.

astronomical: having to do with things in outer space.

mass: the amount of matter in an object.

matter: anything that has weight and takes up space.

gravity: the force that holds objects on the ground.

Rockets that transport astronauts and their equipment need to lift the most weight. Weight is the product of the mass of an object and the force of gravity acting on the object. It takes a lot of fuel to lift a heavy load and carry it for a long distance. A bigger rocket is needed to carry all that fuel.

Experts in many different areas are needed to create rockets, including science, technology , engineering , and math. Scientists who study physics , chemistry, aeronautics , mechanical engineering, and mathematics all contribute to our understanding of rocketry.

WORDS TO KNOW

technology: tools, methods, and systems used to solve a problem or do work.

engineering: using science and math to design and build things.

physics: the science of matter, motion, force, and energy .