Rocket Propulsion Fundamentals 2026 Edition

A 2026-2027 NEW EDITION

Escaping Gravity: A Modern Guide to Rocket Propulsion

Rocket science has a problem: most of what's written about it is either dumbed down past the point of being useful, or so dense with unexplained jargon that only people who already understand it can get through it.

Rocket Repulsion Fundamentals refuses both options.

Across sixty chapters, Dr. Elena Cross rebuilds rocket propulsion from the ground up - starting with Newton's third law and a garden sprinkler, and ending somewhere past fusion drives and antimatter. Every chapter follows the same rhythm: a real question, a plain-language answer, the actual equation (no hand-waving), and a true story from spaceflight history that shows why any of it matters. You'll walk away understanding not just *what* the rocket equation says, but why it's felt as a genuine tyranny by every mission designer who's ever had to budget delta-v against it.

This isn't a textbook pretending to be readable. It's a complete, technically rigorous course that happens to respect your time and your intelligence - covering propellant chemistry, engine cycles from gas generator to full-flow staged combustion, structures and thermal protection, orbital mechanics, reentry physics, and the frontier technologies (nuclear thermal, solar electric, in-space refueling) that are reshaping what's possible right now.

Whether you're an engineering student who needs the fundamentals to actually stick, a career-changer trying to break into aerospace, or someone who's simply always wanted to understand how a rocket manages to leave the ground - this book was built to get you there.

Inside, you'll find:
- All 60 chapters, each built around one core idea, one key equation, and one real mission story
- Every major engine architecture explained and compared, from pressure-fed simplicity to full-flow staged combustion
- A complete tour of orbital mechanics, from launch windows to gravity assists to reentry
- A 30-term glossary, formula quick-reference appendix, and units conversion table for fast lookup
- Review questions at the end of every chapter to lock in what you've learned

No prerequisites beyond curiosity and a willingness to sit with an equation for a minute. Strap in.