Rockets
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Around 300 tests were done.
Saturn V
were the largest
rockets ever built. They were
used to launch all the moon
landings.
Firework rockets
are
used for celebrations.
Military rockets
have
been used for hundreds of
years.
Reusable space shuttles
carry people to and from
the space station.
Types of rocket
There are many
different kinds of rocket.
Experimental rockets
provide information about
fast and high flight.
Some satellites
have
small rocket engines to
position them once they
are in orbit.
Ariane 5
launch vehicle. The main
tank contains 25 tonnes (27.5 tons)
of liquid hydrogen. The tubes on
each side are solid fuel boosters that
supply extra power for lift-off.
Regular launches
Today, rockets such
as
Ariane 5
are used
to launch satellites
into space. A satellite
is a rocket’s payload,
or cargo, whose size
determines whether it
is sent up by a small or
large rocket.
Biggest and best
The
Saturn V
were the largest, and most
powerful, rockets ever built. They were used
13 times, between 1968 and 1972, including for
the first moon landing.
Ariane 5
To escape Earth’s
gravity, a rocket
has to reach
just over 11 km
(7 miles) per
second. This is
called the escape
velocity.
