ELi5 How does a rocket not fly away when testing thrust?

165 views

I see the thrust of rocket engines, and things like vector engines, being tested a lot at the moment with all the Space X stuff happening. How come these rockets that are testing their thrust don’t actually lift off? They don’t appear to be held down so well as to not let the thrust overpower it.

In: 0

5 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

You’re probably gonna have to show an example, cause all the thrust tests I’ve seen have big old pylons or otherwise strapping the thing to the ground.

The may seem a little small, like only being mounted around the base, and a fraction the height of the rocket, but they are definitely there.

Also compared to the rocket itself which is hollow and full of non structural rocket bits like fuel, those pylons are solid steel and concrete. They don’t have to match up with the overall width of the rocket.

You are viewing 1 out of 5 answers, click here to view all answers.