Rakiet

Rakiet are devices that produce thrust by expelling mass rearward, enabling rapid acceleration and controlled flight along a trajectory. They range from small hobby model rockets to military missiles and orbital launch vehicles. Most modern rakiet use Newton's third law of motion: the propellant's combustion or rapid gas expansion generates high-speed exhaust that propels the vehicle forward.

Propulsion types include solid-propellant rockets, liquid-fuel rockets, and hybrid designs. Solid rockets are simple and robust but once ignited cannot be throttled, while liquid rockets allow throttling and restart, at the cost of complexity. Hybrid systems combine aspects of both.

Guidance and control: many rakiet are unguided, following ballistic paths, while others are guided with fins, thrust-vectoring, or onboard guidance systems. In space launches, additional attitude control is provided by reaction control thrusters. Multi-stage configurations discard spent stages to shed mass and reach higher speeds or altitudes.

History: rocketry has ancient roots in China for fireworks and signals; modern developments arose in the 20th century with military missiles and space launchers. Pioneering examples include the V-2, early ballistic missiles, and later orbital launchers such as Saturn V, Falcon 9, and Long March family.

Applications: military, space exploration, satellite deployment, weather and scientific research via sounding rockets.

Safety and regulation: rocket operations involve hazards including high-speed debris, propellant handling, and confined environments; launches are subject to range safety rules and authorization from regulatory authorities.

See also: rocket engine, propulsion, ballistic missile, space launch vehicle, model rocket.