User:Milton Beychok/Sandbox
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Rocket thrust and specific impulse
Thrust is the force (F) which moves a rocket through the air. Thrust is generated by the rocket engine through the reaction of accelerating a mass of gas. The gas is accelerated to the the rear and the rocket is accelerated in the opposite direction. Force may be mathematically expressed as:[1][2]
and also this form, by defining a new term veq :
The total impulse of a rocket ( I ) is defined as the average thrust multiplied by the total time ( t ) of propellant burning:
The specific impulse ( Isp ) is the total impulse divided by the weight of the exhaust gas:
- where:
- F = Force (in Newtons)
- ↑ Rocket Thrust Summary from a website page of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- ↑ Specific Impulse from a website page of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)