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Rocket Staging: Steps to Achieve(UNIT -I)
Hello Reader!! Welcome to another article on Rocket Science, one of the most interesting topics I have ever come across. In this article, I will discuss a very interesting part named ‘Rocket Staging’. If you are new to Space Science and Rocket Technology, I would like to suggest you to go through the previous article for a better understanding.In the last article, I discussed Orbit and its different types. The basic objective of a rocket is to take a payload to a certain height and insert it into the desired orbit. To insert the payload into the desired orbit, the payload needs to be provided the Orbital Velocity (The velocity required to remain in a particular orbit, is termed as orbital velocity). Do you remember Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky??.... He gave us the basic equation of rocketry, which is known as Tsiolkovsky’s Equation. In this equation, there are two terms Initial Mass and Final Mass. Initial mass is the mass of the rocket before the ignition of the rocket engine and the final mass is the mass when the rocket engine shuts down. The mass of the whole rocket at the time of lift-off is termed as Lift-Off Mass.You may arise one or two questions here about Fuels, Oxidizers, Rocket Engine(s), Motors, etc. Don’t worry, we will look into this in another article where we discuss the propulsion system. For now, let’s consider these as some masses only.What is Staging?The launch vehicles are designed in multiple stages. (Why??.. We will discuss it after some time in this article.) Each stage has its own propellants and engine. The major part of the mass of a stage is the mass of propellants. A large amount of propellant is needed to take a relatively very small payload into an orbit. The mass of propellent decreases as the rocket moves upward. When all the propellent are burnt out, the major part of rocket mass is the mass of empty tanks and other parts. So, to lighten the vehicle these parts are separated from the vehicle. This process is termed as Staging.Why Staging is Important?You can arise with some questions. Why staging is important??... Why Launch Vehicles are designed in stages??... What if I design a single-stage launch vehicle??CONTINUE WITH UNIT -II
KRISHNENDU GHOSH
Rocket Staging: Steps to Achieve(UNIT-II)
CONTINUE WITH I Why Staging is Important?Let’s find out the answers in a different way. Suppose you have designed a Launch Vehicle that has only one stage and you want to insert a small payload into Low Earth Orbit using the Launch Vehicle. You need a large amount of propellant. For now, consider your propellants are in liquid form. So, you need large-sized tanks for the propellants. After some time of lifting off, when half of the propellants are already used, the propellant tanks are half empty. But your vehicle has to carry the half-empty tank with the payload.Now imagine, if you design the Launch Vehicle in two stages for the same mission, you can separate the burnt stage to make the vehicle lighter. And we all know that it is easy to move a lighter object. So, here less amount of fuel is required to get the same velocity and the Launch Vehicle becomes more efficient.There is another reason behind staging. A launch vehicle has to cross different layers of the atmosphere where the pressures are different. The same rocket engine cannot be appropriately used in different atmospheric layers and outer space. So, different types of engines are to be used. This requirement is solved by staging.Types of Staging1.Serial Staging In serial staging, the stages are connected in series. The payload is on the top of the Launch Vehicle and followed by uppers stages. The lowest stage is also called Ground Stage or Booster Stage. When the booster stage is burnt out, it is separated and the engine of upper stage fires. This process continues until the required velocity is acquired.2. Parallel StagingIn parallel staging, multiple first-stage rockets are attached to the main body of Launch Vehicle. Here the main body is termed Sustainer and the small rockets are called Strap-on Boosters. At the time of lift-off all the rockets fire. When the propellants of Strap-on Boosters are extinguished, they are separated and the Sustainer keeps firing to move in the upward direction.The separated stages come down to earth and fall in oceans. Sometimes they are lost and sometimes they are recovered and used in another mission.Some space research organizations are working to design Reusable Launch Vehicles that are capable of landing on the earth's surface. This type of Launch Vehicle will make spaceflight more economic.ow, when you hear,"First Stage Separation Complete""Second Stage Ignited""Second Stage Separation Complete"You can easily understand the meaning of these phases. Right? Isn't it interesting?
Propulsion System(UNIT -II)
CONTINUE WITH UNIT -INow, we got a new term, Nozzle. Here we will discuss only those nozzles which are generally used in the rocket. These nozzles have a converging part followed by a small uniform section (termed as Throat) and a diverging part. In the converging part, the flow is Subsonic (Velocity of the hot gasses is less than the velocity of sound). In the diverging part, the flow is Supersonic (Velocity of the hot gasses is greater than the velocity of sound) and in the throat, the flow is Sonic (Velocity of the hot gasses is equal to the velocity of sound). Hot gasses enter the nozzle with low velocity and high pressure and leaves the nozzle with high velocity and low pressure. So, Nozzles play a very important role in the exhaust of hot gases and the efficiency of the rocket.The most important element of the propulsion system is the Propellant. The fuel and oxidizer are collectively called propellants as they propel the rocket.Depending upon the state of the propellant used in a propulsion system, it can be classified in different types, like the Liquid Propulsion System, Solid Propulsive System, Hybrid Propulsive System. Apart from this, more advanced propulsion systems have also been developed, like the Electric Propulsion System.In Liquid, Hybrid, and Solid propulsion systems, the basic principle is the same for all three. Fuels are combusted and hot product gases are exhausted through the nozzle with high velocity. But all of them have their unique characteristics and applications. We will discuss them in different articles and we will try to understand their importance in different applications. (THE END)
Rocket Science: Is it really complex???
Rocket Science is really complex???We have an idea that rocket science is a complex thing and we try to compare a hard topic to rocket science.I can bet, you have launched one or more rocket in your life,Yes you read that right.we all have burnt firecracker rocket in Diwali. Those are very simple rockets. The working principle is similar to that of the rockets which are used for space missions or interplanetary missions.Now let's make it even simpler. What happens if you blow air into a balloon and release it without closing the vent???................ It propels itself in a random direction. Why so??.......... There was some amount of air in the balloon when you released it. The Balloon pushes the air out through the vent with some velocity. The air leaves with a certain Momentum .I used the term 'propel'. What does it mean? The word was organised from the Latin word 'Propellere', Which means "to drive forward". Propelling means pushing or driving something in the forward direction . Now we can describe in case of firecrackers Rockets. When we ignite the firecracker the solid mixture of black powder and some additional chemicals burns and produces hot gas which is released in the upward direction.