This is a short history of the evolution of rocket engines, from ancient Chinese fire arrows to SpaceX’s Raptor engines. It traces the development of rocket technology through key historical milestones, including the multi-stage rockets of the Ming Dynasty, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky’s pioneering rocket equation, and Robert Goddard’s first liquid-fueled rocket in 1926. The video highlights the V2 rocket developed by Wernher von Braun, which laid the foundation for both Soviet and American space programs, leading to the R-7 (which launched the first satellite and astronaut) and NASA’s Saturn V, the most powerful rocket ever built.
The transition from kerosene to hydrogen fuel with the Space Shuttle’s RS-25 engine marked a major leap in efficiency and reusability. SpaceX's Raptor engine represents the latest innovation, utilizing a full-flow staged combustion cycle and methane fuel, which can be synthesized on Mars, making interplanetary travel feasible. The video concludes that, despite advancements, rocketry remains fundamentally about controlled fire and still has vast potential for future development.
This is a short history of the evolution of rocket engines, from ancient Chinese fire arrows to SpaceX’s Raptor engines. It traces the development of rocket technology through key historical milestones, including the multi-stage rockets of the Ming Dynasty, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky’s pioneering rocket equation, and Robert Goddard’s first liquid-fueled rocket in 1926. The video highlights the V2 rocket developed by Wernher von Braun, which laid the foundation for both Soviet and American space programs, leading to the R-7 (which launched the first satellite and astronaut) and NASA’s Saturn V, the most powerful rocket ever built.
The transition from kerosene to hydrogen fuel with the Space Shuttle’s RS-25 engine marked a major leap in efficiency and reusability. SpaceX's Raptor engine represents the latest innovation, utilizing a full-flow staged combustion cycle and methane fuel, which can be synthesized on Mars, making interplanetary travel feasible. The video concludes that, despite advancements, rocketry remains fundamentally about controlled fire and still has vast potential for future development.