Why do missiles have fins, while modern space rockets don’t?
In: 258
Missiles have fins because they help keep the rocket stable.
Old rockets (the first stage) had fins for the same reason.
Modern rockets do not have fins, because the technology has evolved where instead of needing air pressure to stabilize the rocket, the engines can point and tilt (called gimbal) to put added thrust and tilt (and correct an intentional tilt) in the desired direction.
To put it into perspective, imagine you have a fan, and you are on a chair. If you wanted to turn, with fins, you’d need to angle the fins and ensure that you have a good amount of air flowing on those fins to turn your fan-chair. But if you have the ability to gimbal your engine, you can turn the fan and achieve even better rotation
Latest Answers