Hello everyone,
Today, we introduce you to Gitika Gorthi. Gitika is a 13 year old studying in the US who is a patron of Rocketeers. She has been passionate about space and rocketry since a very young age and is working towards spreading her love for rockets and help other love rocketry as well. She is definitely nuts about rockets, so much so that she has joined the National Association of Rocketry, USA and has also conducted a few workshops on rocketry in orphanages in Andhra Pradesh.
She loves the work we do and supports us in any way she can. Lets see what she has to say about rockets and our undeniably associated future with them. Read on…
Rocketry… what does it mean to you? To me, rocketry is the future for developing our society further. Rockets are not only a method of exploring the space, but the best way to transport technology outside the Earth. Our civilization runs on technology, mainly satellites that are launched using rockets. We know quite well that rockets have changed the world completely and have given us new eyes to see the universe. Rocket technology has completely evolved our way of living and will continue to do so forever. Ever since its invention during the Sung Dynasty (960-1279), it has brought man good. Man now knows more about space than ever before and will continue to explore this ever expanding area. It is, thus, our responsibility to inform the future generations of the importance of rocketry and teach them how to construct rockets. This is where organizations like Indian Rocketry Association, National Association of Rocketry, or Ignited Thinkers come into play. It is organizations like them that bring rocket enthusiasts into the workforce (ISRO, NASA, etc.) in order to continue building our civilization forward.
Rockets have many applications and here i shall explain a few of them. Rocket enthusiasts use rockets for high-speed, high-power transportation both within Earth’s atmosphere and out in space. Rockets are especially valuable for launching probes and satellites, for military use, atmospheric research, and space travel.
Rockets carry crewless spacecraft called space probes on long voyages, to explore the universe we live in and to understand the origin of life. These rockets also carry scientific instruments that gather information on the subject and transmit data back to Earth. Rockets lift human-made satellites into space to orbit the Earth. Some orbiting satellites gather information for scientific research, provide communication, help weather forecasting, and also navigation. You may not notice, but many of the things you do daily require satellites, and it is made possible through rockets. To get this into perspective, let us talk about our daily lives. Do you do any of the these: check the forecast to decide what to wear in the morning; use the GPS when you are lost; or communicate with those on the other side of the world? If you do, you are using satellites, and you are in need of rockets. Rockets are the reason for us to be able to do many of the things we do.
Apart from daily tasks, rockets are also used for military purposes. The importance of rockets was understood during World War 2 and the Cold War. The word missile is usually known for a “self-propelled guided weapon system,” but it may also refer to “any thrown or launched object.” Missiles are powered by an engine, usually either a type of rocket or jet engine. Militaries of different countries use missiles as a form of threat or as a way to win a battle. Missiles show power and mostly determine a country’s military strength.
Coming back to the science aspect of rockets, they are used for scientific research and space travel. The most remarkable research done by scientists with rockets is in the field of exploring the Earth’s atmosphere. The most common rocket used for this type of research is a sounding rocket (also known as a research rocket). A sounding rocket is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its short flights. You may be wondering why sounding rockets are more commonly used, and the answer is because it has more advantages than many can imagine. Sounding rockets are advantageous for some research due to their low cost, short lead time (sometimes less than six months) and their ability to research areas inaccessible to either balloons or satellites. Now for space travel, the more exciting type of rockets are used. You may have read news of different powerful rockets getting launched into space and doing various tasks. To understand the basics, you should know that rockets are launched spacecrafts carrying astronauts to their predetermined location for research. The primary goals in space travel currently are: to go further into the solar system than before; send more humans out to the moon and/or Mars; to increase the number of astronauts and research that is done in the International Space Station (ISS) currently in space; to have a solar probe to touch the sun and gain more insight on its properties; and to most importantly, understand and explore our home planet, improve lives and safeguard our future. I hope I have helped you learn more about the importance of rocketry and that you continue to develop your knowledge on this topic. Please raise awareness on this topic, as rocketry is the pathway for developing our civilization further.
Look forward to my next topic, careers in rocketry! Rocketry will be a job in high demanding, and let me tell you that there are limitless options for a career in rocketry. If you have any comments or questions or would like me to write on other topics or would just like to help increase awareness in rocketry, contact me via mail at spreadingrocketrytogether@gmail.com! We are always open to collaborating with new organizations or other rocket enthusiasts!
