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Wikijunior/How Things Work/Rocket
A rocket is a vehicle that is propelled by fast moving fluid or gas. Rockets with guidance systems that can correct their course in flight are called missiles.
During the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the Chinese invented the first type of rockets: the firework. According to legend a cook discovered that a perfect mixture of sulphur, saltpeter, and charcoal (gunpowder) was extremely flammable and would explode, if enclosed in a small space; which is why in fireworks, gunpowder is enclosed in tubes. The Chinese soon discovered that this black powder could shoot up into the sky at tremendous speeds. That marked the beginning of rocket technology. Gunpowder was developed and commercialized by skilled tradesmen, who also made fireworks for entertainment. |
