Rockets

Rockets are fascinating things. When you think about rockets what comes to mind? Space travel? Aliens? Toys? In some way, rockets are part of all these things. Astronauts ride rockets to the moon. Aliens in science fiction stories pilot rockets through space. Children play with toy rockets, perhaps imagining that they are inside. Yes, there is an allure to rockets and one that fits with our desire to discover new things, or determine if there are any species living on other planets.

A lot goes in to making rockets. In today’s modern world, we are already familiar with the technology and the process of building rockets. But can you imagine what it was like when people started to figure it out? There is a lot of magic to the process and there are so many different factors. You need the right fuel, the right weight and mass, the right materials. One wrong move and the rocket and its contents and passengers could be lost in space forever.

Science fiction uses rockets extensively. They come in all different shapes and sizes. Not all of them would necessarily be able to fly if they were actually

Earth at Night on Google Earth
The Earth at Night global image along with astronaut photographs of North American cities at night are now available in Google Earth.
Indus River and Manchhar Lake
Acquired September 5, 2010, this false-color image shows the Indus River and nearby Manchhar Lake, both swollen by floods.
Flooding in Southern Mexico
Acquired September 8, 2010, and September 9, 2009, these false-color images show changes to the landscape of southern Mexico wrought by heavy rains in the summer of 2010.


constructed. But in the movies and cartoons they sure do look cool. In general, the best stories seem to be the ones where the rockets are depicted more realistically. The best science fiction is the type where there is an element of truth to it.

Rockets are also popular toys. Rockets power the imagination. Does the child wish to grow up to be a rocket scientist? With toy rockets, they can take their imagination there. The same goes for if they want to be an astronaut, or even a writer of science fiction stories. When you give a child the gift of a toy rocket, you give them a chance to ignite their imaginations. And isn’t that what playtime is all about?

Between making rockets, flying rockets, reading about rockets, and playing with rockets, there is something about that creation that is simply magnificent. They are fascinating. They represent the things that fascinate a lot of us most. The question of whether or not we are alone in the universe is one that most people wonder about. Rockets either represent a way for us to imagine it or a way for us to go out there and find it.


Here are some more rockets articles...