Geek Guide to Rocket Engines
The principle behind rocket engines is quite simple, but why do rocket engines look so complicated?
Has watching the achievements of SpaceX and Blue Origin given you a newfound interest in space exploration. Perhaps you are curious about how a rocket engine actually works, and the highly technical wikipedia article on rocket engines isn’t quite cutting it for you.
Is there perhaps a friendlier explanation with lots of colorful pictures? That is exactly what this article about. I’ll explain how rocket engines work without dumbing it down.
The core principle behind rocket engines has a lot in common with how a balloon letting out air propels itself forward. Gunpowder rockets work on the same principle and even squids propel themselves forward using the same mechanism.
But why, you might wonder are rocket engines so complicated then? The principle is so simple! It is true that you could build a simple rocket with very few parts. Complexity increases dramatically when you want high performance and low weight!
