Space PropulsionRESEARCH I/II LARRY PECAN FINAL REPORT 9-27-98 INTRODUCTION The following is a research project on spacecraft propulsion. It will consist of four sections, each of which deals with specific topics. The first section lays out the basic ideas of rocketry. Section Two compares rocket propulsion systems and shows the basis for the comparison. It also shows how each specific missile system works, and section three provides a description of how space propulsion evolved and contains a conclusion. SECTION 1 The Basics Section One is a brief description of the basic properties of missile systems. Defines key terms and shows how a basic rocket works. It also shows the State if the art. I chose to do my project on spacecraft propulsion. Basically, this means that my research will be based primarily on rocketry. Rocketry is a means of propulsion that has developed in numerous ways since it was first used to propel fireworks in the 16th century. It has emerged into an extremely complicated science that few really understand. Most space rocketry in America is used in NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Association) space projects. NASA, a government association that focuses on space exploration, is the leading user of rocket technology. It is mainly used to power their satellites and shuttles in space. Pushing an object weighing as much as a Space Shuttle straight up and out of Earth's atmosphere requires an enormous amount of energy. This is why NASA uses rockets. Rockets are essentially the most powerful form of propulsion in existence today. Spacecraft propulsion is based on rocket engines. The basic principle of the rocket engine is that when fuel is burned in the engine, the reaction mass is ejected at high speed. As a result of Newton's law of action and reaction, this pushes the vehicle in the opposite direction to that in which the reaction mass moves. Thrust is the force that the engine exerts on the entire space behind it to "push" the vehicle forward. Efficiency is how the quality of rocket engines is measured. It is measured by the time it takes for one kilogram of propellant to create one kilogram of thrust. The goal of my research is to find out what makes these engines more efficient. In rocketry, the state of the art is extremely difficult to define, as there are so many different forms of rocketry ranging from liquid fuel rockets to fireworks..