How does a rocket accelerate in the vacuum of space?

Question

Since the vacuum offers no friction, how does it work? Do the flames coming out from the engine press against themselves?

Answer 1

the booster rockets give a bit of help to accelerate the rocket a bit. then  the rocket speeds up  through zero gravity.  

i am only eight  :)

                            

Answer 2

This can be explained by a concept known as trust.  First you should know that the gas escaping from the rocket has mass.  Thrust is a reaction force described quantitatively by Newton's Second and Third Laws. When a system expels or accelerates mass in one direction the accelerated mass will cause a proportional but opposite force on that system.

Answer 3

every action has an equal and opposite reaction

Answer 4

Space is not a perfect vacuum. There is friction, just very minute amounts of it. The force of the combustion (flames) coming from the engines do not fold against themselves, but come out normal. Once propulsion is deployed, the rocket does not need mush to acheive and maintain speed. "A little dab will do ya"

That's one of the things about space movies.. they show the propulsion as being constant, but the speed to remain the same. If  a rocket was to deploy steady propulsion, it's speed would steadily increase from the lack of friction.

To maintain speed, all it would need is a minute amount of propulsion at intervals to maintain the desired speed.

Answer 5

The flames have nothing to do with it.  Think thrust.  

Answer 6

Once in space, there is no resistance so a rocket can continue to accelerate with almost no force acting on it.. that is the basis for how an ION engine works... it's just a beam of ions pointed aft, but it's enough to cause the rocket to accelerate from that minute force.

Answer 7

It isnt friction that pushes the rockets in our atmosphere.  Its inertia.  If you blast material away from you in space, there has to be an equal and opposite reaction, which is to push the body of the rocket in the opposite direction.  Inertia still exists in space.

Answer 8

nerotique said:

"This can be explained by a concept known as trust"

I LOL'd

Answer 9

It accelerates easier because there's no friction and every action has an equal and oposite reaction! The hot gases coming out of the rocket are the action and the forward motion of rocket is the reaction!

Answer 10

The force of the combustion puts and equal amount of force in the oppoiste direction, pusing the rocket forward.

For ever action there is an equal and opposite reaction

Answer 11

The burning fuel creates pressure on the inner surface of the nozzle. Since the nozzle is open on the backside (allowing the gas to escape instead of applying backward directed pressure), the net force on the engine (pressure integrated over area) is directed forward. From conservation of momentum, the thrust (forward force) is equal to mass ejection rate times the exhaust velocity.

AIr friction only serves to impede the rocket once it gets going.