How a Rocket Works

Most rockets have very few external parts, thoughplanes,while others look like enormous bullets.
internally some of them areextremely complicated.The Titan is a United States Air Force
The body which encases the inner parts of a rocketsurface-to-surface intercontinentalballistic missile. This
isknown as the air frame. This houses thetwo-stage rocket is launched by a
combustion chamber, the fuel tanks, thedevices by300,000-pound-thrustengine which separates and falls
which the rocket is guided, and the nose cone.away when burned out. A second engine, with
The nose cone, which is located at the upper tip ofathrust of 80,000 pounds, then drives the rocket into
the rocket, is where the warheador payload isspace at a speed of 17,000miles per hour. Both
carried. At the lower end of the rocket are theengines are liquid-fueled.
exhaust noz­zlesthrough which the propellingThe Titan, which is made of aluminum, is larger than
jets of gases escape.the Atlas, but is lighter,weighing 220,000 pounds. Its
Rockets vary in shape and size, no two being alike.length is 98 feet and it has a diameter of 10 feet.
Some are tall and slim; othersare short and stubby.The first flight of the Titan was made on February 6,
Some have wings and fins and resemble jet fighter1959.