What about a rocket manoeuvring in the vacuum of space? Indeed, there’s nothing to push against, but it’s the exact same situation as on the launch pad: to move in one direction, the pilot simply has to activate some jet from a nozzle pointing in the other direction, and voilà! The gas that’s ejected in one direction pushes against the rocket and propels it in the opposite direction. The more massive the object you throw, the more the boat will accelerate in the other direction and the faster it will move. The same thing happens when you’re sitting in a rowing boat and you throw a massive object astern, such as a log or a large rock immediately, the boat will move forward. In the case of one of the most powerful rockets ever built, Nasa’s Saturn V rocket, which propelled Apollo astronauts toward the moon, the thrust of its engines at lift off was equivalent to 7.6m pounds of gas shooting out from behind the rocket every second. So, when a rocket violently pushes gas out of its nozzles, that same gas, a plasma composed of a myriad of tiny atoms accelerated at very high speed, pushes in unison on the rocket, propelling it forward. In other words, when one object exerts a force on a second object, that second object exerts a force on the first object that is equal in magnitude, but opposite in direction. Even though it seems impossible for a massive rocket to move by only venting gas, it’s the simple scientific truth, based on Newton’s third law of motion: for every action in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction. The simple answer is that a rocket moves by pushing on the gas that flame out from its engines. But common sense is not a good guide in the case of a rocket for instance, how would you explain that the rocket is still accelerating toward space when it’s high above the pad and moving through clouds? Indeed, how can it change direction in the vacuum of space? Let’s say you wear skates on an ice rink and you want to move forward you simply have to push on something solid, such as the side of the rink, in the other direction.

This is based on common sense and everyday experience. It’s a common misconception among the public that when a rocket lifts off, it somehow pushes against the launch pad, or the air around it, to gain altitude. Come on mate, it’s not rocket science jimble675 A common misconception

Space shuttle engines