Brandon Hagan’s Comps Presentation
Wednesday, March 9th
3:10 pm in Olin 141
Spacecraft Propulsion
Since the advent of modern rocketry in the early 20th century, almost every rocket has employed chemical combustion as its sole means of propulsion. Although chemical propulsion provides the high thrust necessary to get into orbit, it is remarkably inefficient when it comes to space travel. Other types of propulsion are more efficient, but come with their own drawbacks. The purpose of this presentation is to examine the underlying physical principles of various types of spacecraft propulsion and discuss their viability for use in interstellar travel.