15. Why do we depend on rockets so much, isn't there another way to propel us into space? (A K2S Question)

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Rockets are dependable, controllable, able to move spacecraft of all sizes, and we know how to build them. However, in the future we may learn to use the gravitational pull of bodies in the solar system to propel spacecraft. We might call this electromagnetic propulsion. Another possibility is the use of solar sails to propel the spacecraft using solar wind, the plasma ejected by the Sun. These particles range in density from roughly 16 to 160 per cubic inch and stream away from the Sun at speeds of about 670,000 to 2,220,000 mph. (Ref. 6)

Answer provided by Jon H. Brown


Image:K2S logosmall.jpg Question and Answer extracted from the book Kids to Space - by Lonnie Schorer


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