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A rocket engine is a type of jet engine〔 See Chapter 1.〕 that uses only stored rocket propellant mass for forming its high speed propulsive jet. Rocket engines are reaction engines, obtaining thrust in accordance with Newton's third law. Most rocket engines are internal combustion engines, although non-combusting forms (such as cold gas thrusters) also exist. Vehicles propelled by rocket engines are commonly called rockets. Since they need no external material to form their jet, rocket engines can perform in a vacuum and thus can be used to propel spacecraft and ballistic missiles. Rocket engines as a group have the highest thrust, are by far the lightest, but are the least propellant efficient (have the lowest specific impulse) of all types of jet engines. The ideal exhaust is hydrogen, the lightest of all gases, but chemical rockets produce a mix of heavier species, reducing the exhaust velocity. Rocket engines become more efficient at high velocities (due to greater propulsive efficiency and Oberth effect). Since they do not benefit from, or use, air, they are well suited for uses in space and the high atmosphere. ==Terminology== Here, "rocket" is used as an abbreviation for "rocket engine". Chemical rockets are powered by exothermic chemical reactions of the propellant. Thermal rockets use an inert propellant, heated by a power source such as electric or nuclear power. Solid-fuel rockets (or solid-propellant rockets or motors) are chemical rockets which use propellant in a solid state. Liquid-propellant rockets use one or more liquid propellants fed from tanks. Hybrid rockets use a solid propellant in the combustion chamber, to which a second liquid or gas oxidiser or propellant is added to permit combustion. Monopropellant rockets use a single propellant decomposed by a catalyst. The most common monopropellants are hydrazine and hydrogen peroxide. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Rocket engine」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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