How can a rocket and thrusters work in space when there is no atmosphere to push against? The space ship/rocket would stay still and all the thrust matter would just be ejected. - For example, If the rocket wants to turn left, it is always shown as firing a thruster from the right side that turns the rocket/ship to the left. But in a vacuum all that would happen is the matter that came out of the thruster would be sucked into the vacuum and spread out evenly. The ship would not move. 🤔 Nothing to push against.

Edit: I see now (from the more helpful replies) That it is not the rocket pushing back, but rather the combusting expanding fuel that is pushing the rocket forward. Which makes sense to me now.

Google says thrusters are similar, in that it is expanding steam etc.

[–] Jeremyward@lemmy.world 28 points 3 months ago (15 children)

I think you missed a /s

[–] douglasg14b@programming.dev 30 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (11 children)

Given how many people think that railguns have no recoil because "there is no explosion" they might actually seriously believe what they just wrote.

Scientific illiteracy is through the roof.

Or maybe it's the same as it it's always been it's just that people that are scientifically illiterate are given platforms to speak their illiteracy as truth.

[–] pftbest@sh.itjust.works 8 points 3 months ago

I remember when Falkon 9 was doing its first landings, the whole YouTube comments section was filled with flat earthers claiming it's a CGI. Now you can take a car and go watch landings in person, I wonder where all those people went.

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