See how thrust lifts a rocket, why stages separate, and what it takes to orbit Earth.

How Do Rockets Fly?

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A powerful lift

$A powerful lift$

Have you seen a rocket rise off its launch pad? It needs a strong push called thrust to lift against Earth's gravity. Later, it can coast for a while even when its engine is off.

Fun fact: Gravity still pulls on a rocket as it climbs, whether its engine is firing or it is coasting.

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Gas out, rocket up

A rocket engine sends hot gas out the back at high speed. The gas pushes one way, and the rocket is pushed the other way—up and away from the ground.

Fun fact: A rocket does not need to push against the ground or air to keep moving.

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Fuel and lighter stages

Rockets like these carry both fuel and an oxidizer, so their engines can work even where there is no air. As a rocket climbs, it can let go of empty sections so the rest has less mass to carry.

Fun fact: A rocket engine can work in space because it carries its own oxidizer.

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Getting into orbit

Reaching space and staying in orbit are different jobs. To orbit Earth, a spacecraft must also move sideways fast enough that it keeps falling around our planet instead of straight back down.

Fun fact: An orbiting spacecraft is still being pulled by Earth's gravity.

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