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A rocket's required mass ratio as a function of effective exhaust velocity ratio. The classical rocket equation, or ideal rocket equation is a mathematical equation that describes the motion of vehicles that follow the basic principle of a rocket: a device that can apply acceleration to itself using thrust by expelling part of its mass with high velocity and can thereby move due to the ...
A rocket engine is a reaction engine, producing thrust in accordance with Newton's third law by ejecting reaction mass rearward, usually a high-speed jet of high-temperature gas produced by the combustion of rocket propellants stored inside the rocket. However, non-combusting forms such as cold gas thrusters and nuclear thermal rockets also exist.
Specific impulse in turn has deep impacts on the achievable delta-v and associated orbits achievable, and (by the rocket equation) mass fraction required to achieve a given delta-v. Optimizing the tradeoffs between mass fraction and specific impulse is one of the fundamental engineering challenges in rocketry.
Due to energy carried away in the exhaust the energy efficiency of a reaction engine varies with the speed of the exhaust relative to the speed of the vehicle, this is called propulsive efficiency, blue is the curve for rocket-like reaction engines, red is for air-breathing (duct) reaction engines. Comparing the rocket equation (which shows how ...
Delta-v is typically provided by the thrust of a rocket engine, but can be created by other engines. The time-rate of change of delta-v is the magnitude of the acceleration caused by the engines, i.e., the thrust per total vehicle mass. The actual acceleration vector would be found by adding thrust per mass on to the gravity vector and the ...
Rocket mass ratios versus final velocity calculated from the rocket equation. The Tsiolkovsky rocket equation, or ideal rocket equation, can be useful for analysis of maneuvers by vehicles using rocket propulsion. [2] A rocket applies acceleration to itself (a thrust) by expelling part of its mass at high speed. The rocket itself moves due to ...
Characteristic velocity or , or C-star is a measure of the combustion performance of a rocket engine independent of nozzle performance, and is used to compare different propellants and propulsion systems. c* should not be confused with c, which is the effective exhaust velocity related to the specific impulse by: =. Specific impulse and ...
Rocket mass ratios versus final velocity calculated from the rocket equation Main article: Tsiolkovsky rocket equation The ideal rocket equation , or the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation, can be used to study the motion of vehicles that behave like a rocket (where a body accelerates itself by ejecting part of its mass, a propellant , with high speed).