Travis S. Taylor 1 - Chapter 1 1.1 Discuss the relevance of the aeol...

Travis S. Taylor 1 Introduction to Rocket Science and Engineering – Solutions Manual

Chapter 1

1.1 Discuss the relevance of the aeolipile to rocket science and why it was considered the first demonstration of the principles of rocketry.

Greek inventor Hero of Alexandria (70 – 10 BC) is noted to have invented the device known as the aeolipile. The aeolipile was a steam driven device that implemented Newton’s Third Law of action and reaction. Figure 1.1 in the text shows an artist’s rendition of the aeolipile. It should also be noted here that the device is sometimes described as Hero’s Engine.The engine used fire to heat water in a vessel. Pressurized steam forced its way out of the pressure vessel and through the outlet “nozzles” whereas the force of the steam caused the sphere to rotate about the spin axis. In actuality, Hero’s Engine contains most parts of a simple thermal rocket engine and is considered the first demonstration of basic rocketry.

1.2 What are the main components of gunpowder?

saltpeter (potassium nitrate, KNO3), sulfur (S), and charcoal (carbon, C)

1.3 What was Principia and why is it relevant to rocket science?

In this book published in 1687 by Sir Isaac Newton the basic laws of motion were presented giving other scientists the tools to develop an understanding of rocketry. 1 / 4

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1.4 Why were William Hale’s rockets “better” than William Congreve’s?

They were stickless, had fins, and were spin stabilized.

1.5 Compare and contrast the contributions to the development of rocketry by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and Robert Goddard. Which one could be considered the “father of rocket science” and which one the “father of rocket engineering”?

Tsiolkovsky is the “father of rocket science” while Goddard is the “father of rocket engineering”.

1.6 Who was known as the “Chief Designer” and why?

Sergei Korolev, the Russian rocket scientist, was called the “Chief Designer” to keep his identity secret during the early Cold War space race.

1.7 Who was the “Chief Designer’s” counterpart in the American space program?

Werner Von Braun

1.8 What is the oldest spacecraft still in orbit?

Vanguard 1

1.9 What is UDMH? What is it used for? What is NTO?

Some rockets use liquid propellants such as unsymmetrical dimethylhidrazine (UDMH) for fuel and dinitrogen tetroxide (NTO) for oxidizer.

1.10 Draw a simple liquid fuel rocket and label all the major subcomponents.

See Figure 1.32 in text for an example.

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Chapter 2

2.1 Discuss the dichotomy of rocket science in the modern era.In fact, modern rocketry had two starts. The first major start could be traced to the Treaty of Versailles that officially ended World War I in 1919. The treaty was between the Allied and Central Powers and the German Empire. Among many things this Treaty would prevent Germany from being able to develop long-range artillery technology. From that point on the Germans became very interested in developing rocket technology to take the place of the long-range artillery. It was the impact of the Treaty of Versailles that sparked the V2 missile development and successful launches. World War II saw over 3000 V2 missile launches by the Germans. The success of the V2 led the Americans and the Soviets to long-range missile development efforts of their own that continued throughout the Cold War.The second part of the dichotomy of modern rocketry development was sparked by the launch of Sputnik and the advent of the space race between the Americans and the Soviets. While the missile development efforts improved the rapid launch technologies, guidance and control, and throw weight versus range capabilities the space race led the development of rocketry toward placing payloads into orbit and even safely returning them. The space race added an element from a scientific curiosity standpoint in that science teams began seeing rockets as a means for sending payloads to orbit, deep space, and even extra-terrestrial bodies such as the Moon, Venus, and Mars. The combination of these closely coupled, yet parallel, efforts is what led to the modern era of rocketry.

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Travis S. Taylor 4 2.2 In your own words give a definition for a rocket mission.The mission is the reason for conducting the rocket flight. It usually includes the need to have some payload reach a particular mission location, velocity, or other requirement that only the rocket can manage.

2.3 What is a payload?The payload is really the means for which a mission can be accomplished. In other words, the payload truly is the “means to an end” for the mission.

2.4 What is the so-called “smad”?Space Mission Analysis and Design, Third Edition (there are later editions now available and the book is known as the SMAD pronounced “smad”) edited by James R.Wertz and Wiley J. Larson

2.5 Give the four basic assumptions required for understanding the basics of projectile motion.

• acceleration due to gravity is assumed constant
• neglect air resistance
• assume the Earth is flat
• assume the Earth’s rotation has no impact on the motion of the

projectile.

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