This section of the website has been created to try and bridge the gap between Harry Stine’s excellent book “Model Rocketry” and the many professional text books.  The aim is to explain the science of rockets in layman’s term and introduce people to the key maths and physics used in rocket science.

For now, the website covers the basic principles, to let readers grasp the concepts without freaking out on maths.  All analysis is based on one and two dimensions for simplicity.  Real rocket flights take place in the three dimensional world, and the transition into that area of maths is not usually made until the second year of an engineering degree.  I aim to keep the site at its present level.  For further reading see the bibliography.

Rocket Science

Physics

Propulsion

Forces

Rocket Equation

Keplers Laws

Orbits

Interplanetary Flight

The basic physics of rocket flight

An explanation of how rocket motors work

The forces on a rocket during flight

Derivation of the rocket equation, including multi-stage rockets 

An introduction to Kepler's laws and orbits

Some common orbital manouevres

Manouevres for leaving earth and travelling to the planets

Communications

Radio 

Turbo Codes

Mobile Radio

How to calculate the range of a radio signal from a rocket 

An introduction to turbo codes

Some techniques for modelling mobile radio propagation

Parachute Drift

Ballistics

Drift Model

Drift Spreadheet 

Some thoughts on the ballistics and drift of rockets.

Modelling the wind drift of a rocket descending under parachute

Implemenation of the drift model using a spreadsheet with VB macro 

Odd stuff

Relativity

Einstein's theory of special relativity explained using rocketry.