rocket propulsion

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

rocket propulsion - reaction propulsion using stored oxygen for combustion; used where there is insufficient atmospheric oxygen reaction propulsion - propulsion that results from the ejection at high velocity of a mass of gas to which the vehicle reacts with an equal and opposite momentum

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Reaction propulsion wherein both the fuel and the oxidizer, generating the hot gases expended through a nozzle, are carried as part of the rocket engine. Specifically, rocket propulsion differs from jet propulsion in that jet propulsion utilizes atmospheric air as an oxidizer, whereas rocket propulsion utilizes nitric acid or a similar compound as an oxidizer. See also jet propulsion.