Why do we need rockets?

Rockets are important for space travel. They are the only machines powerful enough to launch things into space, such as satellites, probes and people. All the parts needed to build space stations have been carried up by rockets.

Amazing! The European Ariane rocket could carry a fully-grown elephant. Ariane’s biggest payload (cargo) so far was a satellite which weighed 4.6 tonnes.

How fast can a rocket go?

To escape from Earth’s gravity, a rocket has to reach 40,000 kph – almost 20 times faster than supersonic Concorde. Once it is out in space, the rocket drops down to around 29,000 kph to stay in orbit.

Is it true? Saturn 5 rockets were as tall as a 30-storey building.

Yes.  At 111 meters high, the Saturn 5 was the tallest rocket ever made. Most of the rocket fell away once it had done its job.

Why do rockets fall to pieces?

Rockets are made in stages, or pieces. Usually, there are three stages, made up of the fuel and rocket engines. Each stage drops off when its job is done. It takes a huge amount of power to push a heavy rocket into space.

Picture Credit : Google