Rocket Science: How Rockets Work - A Short and Basic Explanation

Pro Rocket Science tip: Never lay under a rocket as it’s lifting off

I just watched the Falcon 9 launch. It was great to get a basic understanding of how the launch came together. Thanks a lot!

We'd like to point out a technical errors in the video: at 2:56 The rocket doesn't go extremely fast right after liftoff. It passes through the densest parts of the atmosphere at relatively lower speeds and accelerates to much higher speeds after the drag from the layers of the atmosphere is minimized.

Note: Fuel for the Shuttle's main engines comes from the external tank. So it is not jettisoned until after the engines have completed their burn. Once the ET is jettisoned, the Shuttle makes its major burns using the OMS (orbital maneuvering system) engines, which have an on-board fuel supply. Another error is that the Shuttle exhaust does not act against the ground at liftoff. The Shuttle launch stand actually holds it quite a way above the ground. There are huge blast deflectors under the launch stand that direct the blast to the sides. They want to be sure that the exhaust gas is not reflected back where it might damage the spacecraft. The deflectors direct the exhaust sideway into large brick-lined flame trenches, which allow it to flow away from the launch pad.

By the way, rockets aren't considered useless after their first launch. The Falcon 9 has been created to be used up to 9 more times after it's first launch! The creators specifically included this information in the launch as well. Though the rockets might not have been like Falcon 9 back in 2018.

I love all the videos and explanations that can be easily found about rockets. The more exposure there is on this the better, we need all of the great minds working together in this industry. Thanks for this amazing video!

Thank you very much, now I'm going to build the next Falcon 9 in my garage!

I’m doing aero-mechanical engineering at uni and am bored😂 but still good video. One of my favourite thing about rockets it’s use of a gyroscope. Should look into it!

This video answers most of my curiosity questions about rockets. Thanks!

thank you so much i had to do presentation about rockets i had no idea i searched whole internet and couldn't get enough info thank you again for this amazing video i learned everything in just 10 minute

Thank you for explaining, I want to learn rocket science and this is my first step

“Rockets are only used to get stuff to space, period” Germany in ww2 I don’t think so

I do have to say that this is pretty acurate (2 errors are fixed in comments below)

Watching this after watching so many videos of Elon musks rockets going into space

Your videos are very good but can you please change the microphone

That's a great and simple explanation ❤️ thank you

Wow this video helped me so much and now I understand how rockets work! Thank you so much, keep up the good work!

Actually rockets work by conservation of momentum. Consider this: the rocket has to lift its own weight, which includes the fuel, so if it was an equal and opposite reaction, the rocket would never get off the pad because even if it ejected all the mass of fuel and oxidizer out the back, it would not generate enough thrust to move. In the engine, the fuel is burned and the rapidly expanding exhaust gas is directed downward by the nozzle. Since the exhaust gas moves so fast, it can generate a large change in momentum with a relatively small mass. So what you see at launch is the relatively light exhaust gas being ejected backwards at a high velocity, but the relatively heavy rocket moving forward off the pad somewhat slowly. Note the momentum is conserved at all times, the momentum of the high-velocity low-mass exhaust gas has changed the same amount as high-mass low-velocity rocket.

The rocket does not propel by pushing to the ground. It is by ejecting a large amount of gas produced when the fuel is combusted out in one direction, and so the rocket will have an equal and opposite reaction by moving at the direction opposite to the fuel ejected.

Informative video with good animations and explanations of the concepts of how rockets work, thanks! However, the audio quality made it hard to listen to and understand.