Flight path
Question: Why do rockets take off standing up? Why don’t they go along a
runway?
Answer: Planes and rockets share a common means of propulsion: both generate
thrust by expelling hot gases from a nozzle. The jet/rocket engine pushes the
gases backwards, which in turn push the plane/rocket forwards. This is much like
jumping off a boat—if you jump one way, the boat will move the other.
However, the key to the answer is that unlike planes, which take off along a
runway, rockets do not have wings. A plane needs its wings to fly. The wings…
