Page 48 - Life beyond the Karman

Propulsion System
A rocket’s navigation system is complex and consists of three main elements. Firstly, various data sources such as sensors, radio communications, and satellite data are used to gather information.
This information is then processed by the rocket’s multiple computers, which calculate the best course for its trajectory. The processed data is delivered to the digital autopilot, which uses this information to control the rocket’s flight.
The autopilot continuously updates the navigation system with the status of the flight controls, ensuring a safe and efficient journey. Over time, different methods have been devised to control rocket flight.
In the early days, some rockets were equipped with movable fins at the rear, which provided the aerodynamic force to maintain stability in flight. However, in modern rocket technology, a method called gimbaled thrust is widely used. This means the rocket motors can point in slightly different directions to control the path of the rocket.
Propulsion System
The engine propels mass (in the form of high-pressure gas) in a single direction, with the fuel serving as the source of mass. The rocket is pushed in the opposite direction.
A rocket engine produces thrust through reaction to exhaust gas expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely from propellant carried within the vehicle; therefore, a rocket can fly in the vacuum of space. Rockets work more efficiently in a vacuum and lose thrust due to the opposing pressure of the atmosphere.
A rocket engine is different from a jet engine. A jet engine needs air to work, while a rocket does not. It carries with it everything it needs. A rocket engine works in space, where there is no air.
Here are a few of the most famous rockets in the world:
The Proton
The Proton rocket family that first launched in 1965 is often used for commercial and Russian government satellite launches as an expendable launch vehicle. Rockets are manufactured at the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center in Moscow and launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The Proton rocket was initially designed as an intercontinental ballistic missile named the UR-500, but later its objective was changed to launching space payloads. Proton rockets have successfully launched several missions to Venus and Mars, and parts of the Russian Salyut space station.
The Proton rocket line entered the commercial market in the 1990s. Since 2010, it has successfully launched numerous communication and navigation satellites.
H-IIA and H-IIB, JAPAN
The H-IIA and H-IIB are types of launch rockets that the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) uses to launch satellites and other spacecraft into space. These rockets are operated by Mitsubishi Industries and the launches take place at the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan.
Both of these rockets are based on the previous H-II rocket, which was modified to improve cost control and reliability.
Some notable launches of the H-IIA rocket include Akatsuki, which is currently studying the planet Venus, Selene, which studied the moon, and Hayabusa2, which is set to study the asteroid Ryugu and bring back a sample from it. The H-IIB rocket is specifically designed to transport H-II Transfer Vehicles, or cargo spacecraft, to the International Space Station.
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LIFE BEYOND THE KÁRMÁN LINE - OUTER SPACE