Rocket Propulsion

Catalog description

This is a survey course of rocket propulsion that covers the history of rockets, the basic science of rocket propulsion including Newton’s Third Law, basic fluid mechanics, the ideal rocket equation, nozzle design and impulse, types of rockets including thermodynamic and electrodynamic, and exotic propulsion methods such as solar sails, tethers and the future of antimatter propulsion. As an introductory survey course, the objectives of this class are geared towards gaining a conceptual understanding of these topics and how rocket propulsion works, rather than memorizing a lot of facts.