What is a rocket?
Q: What is a rocket?
A: A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which is pushed by a rocket engine.
Q: Are all rockets launched from the ground?
A: Most rockets can be launched from the ground because exhaust thrust from the engine is bigger than the weight of the vehicle on Earth. Some are too weak and heavy to lift themselves and require other rockets to bring them into outer space.
Q: How did rockets originate?
A: The first rockets were invented by the Chinese while using gunpowder and were shaped like arrows. They were not very fast. Most modern day rockets still work by fire, where hot exhaust gases expand and shoot out of the back, propelling it forward.
Q: What type of fuel do most rockets use?
A: Most rockets use solid fuel to make fire, however bigger ones use liquid fuel as it makes a hotter fire so that the rocket is more powerful. However, handling liquid fuel safely can be difficult and expensive so some satellite launch vehicles use both solid and liquid fuels.
Q: What are some uses for rockets?
A: Rockets have many uses such as launching satellites into orbit, fireworks displays, weapons systems and controlling moves in outer space.
Q: Who was Yuri Gagarin?
A: Yuri Gagarin was a Soviet cosmonaut who became the first human to fly into outer space on 12 April 1961 in an R-7 rocket launched by the Soviet Union
