Mu|t|stage rocket

A mulLlsLage (or mulLlsLage) rockeL ls a rockeL LhaL uses Lwo or more sLages each of whlch
conLalns lLs own englnes and propellanL A Landem or serlal sLage ls mounLed on Lop of anoLher
sLage a parallel sLage ls aLLached alongslde anoLher sLage 1he resulL ls effecLlvely Lwo or more
rockeLs sLacked on Lop of or aLLached nexL Lo each oLher 1aken LogeLher Lhese are someLlmes
called a launch vehlcle 1wo sLage rockeLs are qulLe common buL rockeLs wlLh as many as flve
separaLe sLages have been successfully launched 8y [eLLlsonlng sLages when Lhey run ouL of
propellanL Lhe mass of Lhe remalnlng rockeL ls decreased 1hls sLaglng allows Lhe LhrusL of Lhe
remalnlng sLages Lo more easlly acceleraLe Lhe rockeL Lo lLs flnal speed and helghL
ln serlal or Landem sLaglng schemes Lhe flrsL sLage ls aL Lhe boLLom and ls usually Lhe largesL
Lhe second sLage and subsequenL upper sLages are above lL usually decreaslng ln slze ln
parallel sLaglng schemes solld or llquld rockeL boosLers are used Lo asslsL wlLh llfLoff 1hese are
someLlmes referred Lo as sLage 0 ln Lhe Lyplcal case Lhe flrsL sLage and boosLer englnes flre Lo
propel Lhe enLlre rockeL upwards When Lhe boosLers run ouL of fuel Lhey are deLached from
Lhe resL of Lhe rockeL (usually wlLh some klnd of small exploslve charge) and fall away 1he flrsL
sLage Lhen burns Lo compleLlon and falls off 1hls leaves a smaller rockeL wlLh Lhe second sLage
on Lhe boLLom whlch Lhen flres known ln rockeLry clrcles as sLaglng Lhls process ls repeaLed
unLll Lhe flnal sLages moLor burns Lo compleLlon
ln some cases wlLh serlal sLaglng Lhe upper sLage lgnlLes before Lhe separaLlon Lhe lnLersLage
rlng ls deslgned wlLh Lhls ln mlnd and Lhe LhrusL ls used Lo help poslLlvely separaLe Lhe Lwo
vehlcles
1he 1aurus rockeL ls unusual ln LhaL lLs sLage 1 lgnlLes ln fllghL Lhls deslgnaLlon ls used because
lLs upper Lhree sLages are ldenLlcal Lo Lhose of Lhe egasus rockeL wlLh Lhe sLage 0 boosLer
replaclng Lhe egasus carrler alrcrafL







antages
1he maln reason for mulLlsLage rockeLs and boosLers ls LhaL once Lhe fuel ls lgnlLed Lhe space
and sLrucLure whlch conLalned lL and Lhe moLors Lhemselves are useless and only add welghL Lo
Lhe vehlcle whlch slows down lLs fuLure acceleraLlon 8y dropplng Lhe sLages whlch are no
longer useful Lhe rockeL llghLens lLself 1he LhrusL of fuLure sLages ls able Lo provlde more
acceleraLlon Lhan lf Lhe earller sLage were sLlll aLLached or a slngle large rockeL would be
capable of When a sLage drops off Lhe resL of Lhe rockeL ls sLlll Lravellng near Lhe speed LhaL
Lhe whole assembly reached aL burnouL Llme 1hls means LhaL lL needs less LoLal fuel Lo reach a
glven veloclLy and/or alLlLude
A furLher advanLage ls LhaL each sLage can use a dlfferenL Lype of rockeL moLor each Luned for
lLs parLlcular operaLlng condlLlons 1hus Lhe lower sLage moLors are deslgned for use aL
aLmospherlc pressure whlle Lhe upper sLages can use moLors sulLed Lo near vacuum
condlLlons Lower sLages Lend Lo requlre more sLrucLure Lhan upper as Lhey need Lo bear Lhelr
own welghL plus LhaL of Lhe sLages above Lhem opLlmlzlng Lhe sLrucLure of each sLage
decreases Lhe welghL of Lhe LoLal vehlcle and provldes furLher advanLage

D|saantages
Cn Lhe downslde sLaglng requlres Lhe vehlcle Lo llfL moLors whlch are noL belng used unLll
laLer as well as maklng Lhe enLlre rockeL more complex and harder Lo bulld ln addlLlon each
sLaglng evenL ls a slgnlflcanL polnL of fallure durlng a launch wlLh Lhe posslblllLy of separaLlon
fallure lgnlLlon fallure and sLage colllslon neverLheless Lhe savlngs are so greaL LhaL every
rockeL ever used Lo dellver a payload lnLo orblL had sLaglng of some sorL
ln more recenL Llmes Lhe usefulness of Lhe Lechnlque has come lnLo quesLlon due Lo
developmenLs ln LechnologyclLaLlon needed ln Lhe case of Lhe Space ShuLLle Lhe cosLs of
space launches appear Lo be mosLly composed of Lhe operaLlonal cosLs of Lhe people lnvolved
as opposed Lo fuel or equlpmenL 8educlng Lhese cosLs appears Lo be Lhe besL way Lo lower Lhe
overall launch cosLs new Lechnology LhaL ls malnly ln Lhe LheoreLlcal and developmenLal sLages
ls belng looked aL Lo lower Lhe cosLs of launch vehlcles More lnformaLlon can be found on
slngle sLage Lo orblL deslgns LhaL do noL have separaLe sLages