rocket motor

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rocket motor

Also known as: rocket engine, thrust chamber

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July 23, 2026

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rocket motor — rocket motor Cutaway of a large solid rocket motor. This type of motor, used on the U.S. space shuttle, consists of four segments and a nozzle assembly that are mated at the launch site. The "factory joints" shown in the diagram are case-segment joints assembled before propellant casting; "field joints" are assembled subsequently. The shuttle motors are recovered at sea, refurbished, and reused.

A rocket motor is a type of jet-propulsion device that carries its own fuel and oxidizer for combustion, allowing it to operate independently of the atmosphere. Solid-rocket motors (SRMs) are a common type where the propellant is a solid mixture stored within the motor casing, which also serves as the combustion chamber.12

The solid propellant, often a rubbery compound of fuel and oxidizer, burns from exposed inner surfaces at a predictable rate to generate thrust. SRMs are simpler in design than liquid-fueled engines and are frequently used as strap-on boosters for launch vehicles to provide extra thrust during liftoff. Once ignited, solid-rocket motors burn until their fuel is exhausted, and their thrust cannot be adjusted in real-time.23

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rocket
General characteristics and principles of operation
…the turbojet and other “air-breathing” engines in that all of the exhaust jet consists of the gaseous combustion products of “propellants” carried on board. Like the turbojet engine, the rocket develops thrust by the rearward ejection of mass at very high velocity.
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…the turbojet and other “air-breathing” engines in that all of the exhaust jet consists of the gaseous combustion products of “propellants” carried on board. Like the turbojet engine, the rocket develops thrust by the rearward ejection of mass at very high velocity.
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aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering
The use of rocket engines for aircraft propulsion opened a new realm of flight to the aeronautical engineer. Robert H. Goddard, an American, developed, built, and flew the first successful liquid-propellant rocket on March 16, 1926. Goddard proved that flight was possible at speeds greater than the speed…
Read More
The use of rocket engines for aircraft propulsion opened a new realm of flight to the aeronautical engineer. Robert H. Goddard, an American, developed, built, and flew the first successful liquid-propellant rocket on March 16, 1926. Goddard proved that flight was possible at speeds greater than the speed…
Read More

Bell X-1
…was powered by a liquid-fueled rocket engine designed, built, and tested by American engineer James Hart Wyld. Experience gained in the X-1 tests led to the development of the X-15 rocket plane.
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…was powered by a liquid-fueled rocket engine designed, built, and tested by American engineer James Hart Wyld. Experience gained in the X-1 tests led to the development of the X-15 rocket plane.
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airplane
Jet engines
Rockets are purely reactive engines, which usually use a fuel and an oxidizing agent in combination. They are used primarily for research aircraft and as launch vehicles for spacecraft and satellites.
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Rockets are purely reactive engines, which usually use a fuel and an oxidizing agent in combination. They are used primarily for research aircraft and as launch vehicles for spacecraft and satellites.
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X-15
rocket-powered research aircraft built in the 1950s by North American Aviation, Inc., for the U.S. military and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in order to gather information on flight conditions beyond the atmosphere. First flown in 1959, the X-15 set separate unofficial altitude and…
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rocket-powered research aircraft built in the 1950s by North American Aviation, Inc., for the U.S. military and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in order to gather information on flight conditions beyond the atmosphere. First flown in 1959, the X-15 set separate unofficial altitude and…
Read More