Like most engines, rockets burn fuel. Most rocket engines turn the fuel into hot gas. The engine pushes the gas out its back. The gas makes the rocket move forward. A rocket is different from a jet engine. A jet engine needs air to work. A rocket engine doesn't need air. It carries with it everything it needs. A rocket engine works in space, where there is no air.
In space, an engine has nothing to push against. So how do rockets move there? Rockets work by a scientific rule called Newton's third law of motion.
New rockets are being developed today. They will launch astronauts on future missions.
The new rockets will not look like the space shuttle. These rockets will look more like earlier ones. They will be tall and round and thin. These rockets will take astronauts into space. They will take supplies to the International Space Station. NASA also is working on a powerful new rocket called a heavy lift vehicle. This rocket will be able to take big loads into space.
Together, these new rockets will make it possible to explore other worlds. Someday they may send humans to Mars.
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