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Related Concept Videos

Rocket Propulsion in Empty Space - I01:13

Rocket Propulsion in Empty Space - I

The driving force for the motion of any vehicle is friction, but in the case of rocket propulsion in space, the friction force is not present. The motion of a rocket changes its velocity (and hence its momentum) by ejecting burned fuel gases, thus causing it to accelerate in the direction opposite to the velocity of the ejected fuel. In this situation, the mass and velocity of the rocket constantly change along with the total mass of ejected gases. Due to conservation of momentum, the rocket's...
Rocket Propulsion In Empty Space - II01:12

Rocket Propulsion In Empty Space - II

The motion of a rocket is governed by the conservation of momentum principle. A rocket's momentum changes by the same amount (with the opposite sign) as the ejected gases. As time goes by, the rocket's mass (which includes the mass of the remaining fuel) continuously decreases, and its velocity increases. Therefore, the principle of conservation of momentum is used to explain the dynamics of a rocket's motion. The ideal rocket equation gives the change in velocity that a rocket experiences by...
Rocket Propulsion in Gravitational Field - I01:20

Rocket Propulsion in Gravitational Field - I

Rockets range in size from small fireworks that ordinary people use to the enormous Saturn V that once propelled massive payloads toward the Moon. The propulsion of all rockets, jet engines, deflating balloons, and even squids and octopuses are explained by the same physical principle: Newton's third law of motion. The matter is forcefully ejected from a system, producing an equal and opposite reaction on what remains.
The motion of a rocket in space changes its velocity (and hence its...
Rocket Propulsion in Gravitational Field - II01:03

Rocket Propulsion in Gravitational Field - II

A rocket's velocity in the presence of a gravitational field is decreased by the amount of force exerted by Earth's gravitational field, which opposes the motion of the rocket. If we consider thrust, that is, the force exerted on a rocket by the exhaust gases, then a rocket's thrust is greater in outer space than in the atmosphere or on a launch pad. In fact, gases are easier to expel in a vacuum.
A rocket's acceleration depends on three major factors, consistent with the equation for the...
Heart Sounds01:15

Heart Sounds

Heart sounds are generated by the turbulence in blood flow due to the closing of heart valves. These sounds are best perceived slightly away from the valves, where the blood flow disseminates the sound.
Auscultation is the process of listening to these internal body sounds using a stethoscope. The heart produces four types of sounds, but only two—S1 and S2—can usually be heard with a stethoscope.
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Impact: Problem Solving01:26

Impact: Problem Solving

In an experiment conducted during a Mars mission, a rover propels a projectile with an initial velocity, and the projectile rebounds after colliding with the Martian surface. To ascertain the maximum height attained by the projectile after this collision, the known restitution coefficient and acceleration due to gravity are employed.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Bringing the Visible Universe into Focus with Robo-AO
10:35

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Published on: February 12, 2013

Sound from apollo rockets in space.

D Cotten, W L Donn

    Science (New York, N.Y.)
    |February 12, 1971
    PubMed
    Summary

    Low-frequency sound waves from Apollo rockets were detected in Bermuda. These signals, originating from high altitudes, are explained by shock formation theories in rarefied atmospheres.

    Area of Science:

    • Acoustics
    • Aerospace Engineering
    • Atmospheric Physics

    Background:

    • Low-frequency sound phenomena can be generated by high-speed atmospheric events.
    • Previous studies have explored acoustic signals from rocket launches, but high-altitude sources remain less understood.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the origin and characteristics of low-frequency sound recorded during Apollo rocket launches.
    • To determine if these acoustic signals can be explained by atmospheric shock wave theories.

    Main Methods:

    • Analysis of acoustic data recorded by tripartite arrays in Bermuda during Apollo rocket passages.
    • Comparison of signal characteristics (coherence, velocity, arrival time, frequency) with rocket trajectory data.
    • Application of kinetic theory for shock formation in rarefied atmospheres and gas dynamics shock theory.

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    Main Results:

    • Coherent low-frequency sound signals were recorded on multiple occasions, coinciding with Apollo rocket launches at 188 km altitude.
    • Signals exhibited high, supersonic trace velocities and consistent characteristics (appearance, frequency, arrival time) across arrays.
    • Observed surface pressure variations were consistent with theoretical models of shock formation at high altitudes.

    Conclusions:

    • The recorded low-frequency sounds are definitively attributed to Apollo rocket vehicles at high altitudes.
    • A combined kinetic theory and gas dynamics approach successfully explains the observed acoustic phenomena and surface pressure effects.