Hello simon,simonshack wrote:
Imagine now the high pressure emitted by any rocket from its (always open) nozzle. As it enters the vacuum of outer space, the very same - almost explosively rapid - pressure equalization is bound to occur. The rocket will be emptied of all of its pressurized fuel in a flash - by the overwhelmingly superior power of the vacuum itself. No matter how powerful the rocket (propelled by any fuel known to man / and designed to perform in our atmosphere) - the very laws of physics will not allow it to ascend any further into the void of space. It will haplessly tumble back to Earth.
This insurmountable 'little problem' may have been understood back in the heydays of early rocket research - thus paving the way for the ridiculous NASA circus and its clowns to take over and explore exploit outer space ... financially.
fyi gas enters a vacuum at about 2,000 m/s (depends on the gas of course). So, as you point out, you're not going to get much thrust in space out of the 12 meter nozzle of an F1 engine in a Saturn 5 rocket. A molecule of gas that enters the nozzle is off into space in thousandths of a second.
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1953ZA.....33..251K
I've been thinking about the pressure issue regarding space travel. As it turns out boats, planes and rockets (in the atmosphere), the 3 miracle machines of the modern age, all count on air pressure.
Metal boats float because of buoyancy, the pressure of the water below the hull is greater than the air pressure inside.
Planes fly because of lift, the pressure under the wing is greater than above.
All rockets equations have a thrust component which measures the pressure of the expelled gas.
Take away pressure (e.g. in the vacuum of space) and none of these three machines will work. Taking away pressure is like dividing by 0 in a math proof. Once you do it your answers are invalid even if you follow all the rules the rest of the way.