Blast Off! Rockets

By: Jeni M. and Nikolas P.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/reference/rockets-and-rocket-launches-explained/

Online peoples - https://meet.google.com/gpb-pvnh-tuf?authuser=0&hl=en

Youtube Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yBwWLunlOM&ab_channel=

Supplies for making a rocket!

• Cardstock

• Tape

• Scotch tape

• Compass

• Pvc pipe ¾

How to make your rocket !

Step 1 - Wrap your cardstock around the Pvc pipe

Step 2 - Put your scotch tape along the cardstock thats on the pipe

Step 3 - Take off the cardstock so it should now look like your Pvc pipe

Step 4 - Put tape over one of the openings on the Pvc pipe

Step 5 - Draw out a circle on cardstock, cut it out then make a dot in the middle of the circle you just made, cut to the dot then you’ll make a nose out of it.

Step 6 - Draw out triangles on the same cardstock. Cut out 2 or 3 fins, however many you want.

Step 7 - Tape your nose cones and fins on your rocket. The side you taped is the side where you are going to put the nose cone. The fins are going on the opposite side of the bottom and you'll tape it down.

Step 8 - You are done!

How do rockets work ?

Rockets are the same to you as you are on a skateboard holding a basketball in your hands. As if you use Newton's third law on the rockets launching. Pushing off of a wall in water to push off, jumping off a boat and the boat goes the other direction. Every action has a reaction to it as well. when you throw a basketball you and the skateboard are going to roll off in the opposite direction as the ball was thrown. That conserves momentum to you and the skateboard. The rockets release an exhaust that is like a basketball. When the rocket ignites it releases gas molecules they exit out the nozzle very fast just like the ball does. Airplane jet engines are different from the rocket engines that are designed for going out to space, work in space. Rockets bring something called oxidizers. It's a substance that burns fuel on what oxidizers it has. It can start a fire by itself or it can increase burning in another substance.

What are the stages to rocket launch ?

There are at least two stages to a rocket launch. Each stage of the rocket has an amount of engines. For example, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket has 9 engines for the first stage of launch. The first stage of rocket launch is to get through the lower atmosphere, sometimes the rocket will use side boosters to help the process. The first stage must lift the rocket and the payload it is holding.

What is a launch pad ? How can the launch pad go wrong ?

A launch pad is where the rocket and a spacecraft are placed until they are ready to launch off into space. Launch pads are made out of concrete, bricks, and steel. They make it where the smoke and exhaust towards the ocean or nearby water so it doesn’t harm anybody, workers. For support for the rocket and the launch pad there are towers to make sure that the rocket doesn’t tip over onto the floor or get damaged. For the rocket to launch there is a metal structure to help the rocket stay in place. That also gives the rocket the power of cooling liquids and propellant. This metal structure part of the launch pad shields it from the lighting strikes. Lighting strikes will cause lots of damage to the structure. It will most likely have the glitch to the electronics or cables, the rocket or spacecraft ethier one could be out of control so that means when they are getting ready to blast off the electronics and cables are doing their only thing.

Nose cones and fins on the rocket ? Why are they on it ?

Fins control direction and stability. Fins have different shapes and sizes, smaller fins go on smaller rockets and bigger fins go on bigger rockets. The fins provide stability and to control the directions of where it will go. The rocket needs to go up straight and not to wobble and move around while it is in the air. The fins provide a drag on the rocket; a drag is the angle of the fins on the rockets. The greater drag on the feather (fins) causes the fins to stay in the back also so the wind pressure can go right against the fins.

Nose Cones -

The nose cone is on the top of the rocket and is the forwardmost section and important section on the rocket. It's the first point to meet the air located in the front end of the rocket that's where the cone is at. It says that if the speed of the rocket is less than the speed of sound you should have a curve cone at the front end of the rocket. Also it says that if the speed is faster the the sound the best shape for a cone is as narrow as possible is the best way to reduce drag.