Gravity is the universal force that pulls objects with mass toward each other. In orbital motion, this pull works together with forward motion to create stable paths. The balance between gravitational attraction and inertia allows satellites, planets, moons, and stars to follow repeating orbits instead…
Continue reading... Johannes Kepler discovered three fundamental laws in the early 1600s that describe how planets move in their orbits around the Sun. Using precise observations collected by Tycho Brahe, Kepler replaced the long-standing idea of perfect circular orbits with a more accurate elliptical model. These laws…
Continue reading... Orbits are the curved paths objects follow through space as they move under the influence of gravity. Without gravity, objects would travel in straight lines forever. With too little forward speed, they fall inward. With the right balance between forward motion and gravitational pull, objects…
Continue reading... Reaching orbit is one of the most difficult tasks in engineering. A rocket must do far more than simply travel upward — it must accelerate to enormous speeds while overcoming both Earth’s gravity and atmospheric drag. Modern launch vehicles accomplish this through powerful engines, staged…
Continue reading... The rocket engine is the most critical and technically demanding component of a launch vehicle. It must generate enormous thrust while operating under extreme pressures and temperatures hotter than the surface of the Sun. Nearly every other part of a rocket exists to store propellant,…
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