In order to move, you have to apply an equal force to something else, right? So how can rockets move in space where there are no particles?
In: Physics
Despite a couple other responses you correctly identified that there are two objects involved in any force (Newton’s third law).
In this case you fell into the common blind spot of forgetting that a gas is an object. The rocket engine pushes the exhaust backwards hard, and that pushes the rocket forward.
And this is what it does the entire time, even down here in the atmosphere. The air here is actually slowing the rocket, as it’s in front of the rocket and has to be pushed out of the way for the rocket to ascend.
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