Discuss “How Things Work: Space Travel”

You lay back in the seat, stare at thousands of switches, and pray that no tiles fall off. Two solid booster rockets generating over six million pounds of thrust are strapped to your butt, and once ignited, they can?t be turned off. You smile weakly at your comrade and listen as the ignition sequence is counted down. There is a demonic roar underneath; g-forces are building, the cockpit is shaking like the San Andreas faultline, and you?re already feeling nauseous. The g-forces build as you accelerate to 17,400 mph, and as the tiny cockpit window fades from sky blue to pitch black. You see your vomit bag floating away: welcome to space.

Unfortunately, given our chemical means of propulsion, we aren?t going too far. Science has given us multiple...