Background Information

Rockets were first made in China, over 700 years ago. They began as fireworks, but were also used as weapons of war. Rockets have been used to send signals and to carry ropes from ship to shore. During the Second World War (1939–45), the German scientist Dr Wernher von Braun developed the V2 rocket, a flying bomb that caused great damage and loss of life in the south of England.

In recent times, rockets have been used to explore space. The first satellite, Sputnik 1 was placed in orbit by the former Soviet Union on 4 October 1957. The Russian Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space on 12 April 1961. The United States of America put the first men on the Moon on 20 July 1969, using a rocket called Apollo 11. Despite terrible accidents, such as the loss of the American space shuttles Challenger (28 January1986) and Columbia (1 February 2003), rockets continue to help us explore the solar system.

Making small rockets as a hobby began in the 1950s. These rockets are made mostly from cardboard and balsa wood rather than metal, so they are lighter and less dangerous when they fall back to Earth. It's important to include a recovery device or parachute, to slow the rocket down as it falls. The rocket motor is never home made and is bought as a kit from a factory.