propulsion

Examples of propulsion in the following topics:

• Rocket Propulsion, Changing Mass, and Momentum

  • In rocket propulsion, matter is forcefully ejected from a system, producing an equal and opposite reaction on what remains.
  • The propulsion of all rockets, jet engines, deflating balloons, and even squids and octopuses is explained by the same physical principle: Newton's third law of motion.
  • The practical limit for ve is about 2.5×103m/s for conventional (non-nuclear) hot-gas propulsion systems.

• Escape Speed

  • Imagine a situation in which a spaceship that does not have a propulsion system is launched straight away from a planet.
  • (It is moot to discuss escape speed for objects with propulsion systems.)
  • If the vehicle has a propulsion system to provide it with energy once it has left the surface of the planet, it is not necessary to initially meet escape speed requirements.

• Orbital Maneuvers

  • An orbital maneuver is the use of propulsion systems to change the orbit of a spacecraft (the rest of the flight is called "coasting").
  • In spaceflight, an orbital maneuver is the use of propulsion systems to change the orbit of a spacecraft.

• Free-Falling Objects

  • The free fall would end once the propulsion devices turned on.