Getting Aloft
Space Shuttle.
Courtesy of NASA Kennedy Space Center
Thrust provides the force to lift a rocket into space. Once
in orbit, a spacecraft no longer needs propulsion. Short bursts
from smaller rockets are used to maneuver the spacecraft.
How Fast Must a Spacecraft Travel to Reach Orbit?
Why Are Rockets Built in Stages?
Why Don't We Launch Spacecraft from Guns?
How Does a Rocket Engine Work?
(Rev. 09/22/96)