Water Rocket Launch Reflection

Water Rocket Launch
Reflection
6. How do you think the rocket would have behaved differently if it were launched in a weightless atmosphere?
In essence, weightlessness has got to do with the absence gravitational pull. As Newton’s first law points out, “an object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force” (Winterberg, 2015). In that regard, therefore, a rocket in its launch pad is at rest and has no unbalanced forces acting upon it. When it is launched, the forces are unbalanced by the thrust after the ignition of the engines. Gravity pulls the rocket down as it ascends. Ideally, the rocket eventually slows down when fuel runs out and gravity ‘pulls’ it back to earth after it attains the flight’s highest point. With no gravitational pull, and as per Newton’s first law, the rocket would in my opinion stay in motion (assuming no other forces come into play).
7. What safety measures do you think engineers consider when launching a real rocket? Consider the location of most launch sites as part of your answer.
To ensure that no major incidents are witnessed during the launch of a rocket, and to assure the safety of all those involved in the launch, engineers are likely to take into consideration a number of factors. To begin with, there is need to ensure that there are no non-essential personnel at the launch pad. The pad may also be inspected to remove all debris. Further, I would want to believe that the weather conditions are also taken into consideration. Launching through disturbed weather (i.e. a thunderstorm) could jeopardize the entire undertaking or risk the life of the crew. The launch pad should not also be located in a densely populated area to avoid serious incidents, i.e. i.e. thrust failure as a consequence of mechanical faults whereas the rocket falls back after travelling a short distance. A coastal region would, therefore, be a preferable launch site.
8. When engineers are designing a rocket which will carry people in addition to cargo, how do you think the rocket will change in terms of structural design, functionality, and features?
Structural design in such a case would have to incorporate thinner and lighter materials. This is more so the case given that when people and cargo are added into the equation, every pound matters. With regard to features and functionality, given the heavier payload, the relevance of a more powerful engine cannot be overstated. The design of such an engine ought to further optimize the thrust-to-weight ratio.
9. Do you think rocket designs will change a great deal over the next ten years? How?
In my opinion, rocket designs will definitely change significantly over the next ten years. To begin with, given the need to probe deeper space, astronauts are likely to spend significantly longer periods of time in space. In that regard, therefore, I envision the rockets of the future to be more of luxury ships as opposed to basic-need projectiles. Towards this end, they could incorporate entertainment components or systems, private chambers for astronauts, more sophisticated communication systems, etc. This is more so the case given the need to ensure that astronauts are not pushed to the limits during their lengthy forays into space. Design considerations are also likely to take into consideration the need for higher speeds. This is a factor tied to the need to explore deep space.
10. What tradeoffs do engineers have to make when considering the space/weight of fuel vs. the weight of cargo?
The weight of the rocket is a factor that has to be watched closely. This is more so the case given that more energy is required to get rockets that are heavier into space. More fuel is likely to be used up in launching a heavier rocket into space, effectively meaning that less fuel is left and hence range (distance travelled) is reduced. It is also important to note that the payload would have an impact on the speed of the rocket. This is more so the case given that acceleration tends to be quicker for an object that has less mass as the resulting gravitational pull in such a case is lower.
















References
Winterberg, J. (2015). Balanced and Unbalanced Forces. Huntington Beach, CA: TCM.