What does a space craft push against when the rockets are engaged since space is a vacuum?

Question

A plane or jet pulls or pushes air to maneuver. Space has no air, so just what is it that allows a space craft to turn?

Answer 1

Space crafts do not use air at all. Instead, they direct focused rocket engines in a particular direction. By "throwing" this burning fuel rapidly in one direction the space craft moves in the opposite.

Answer 2

I asked this question of my science teacher in 8th
grade and he admitted he did not know.
About a year later I read a book called,
Rockets, Missiles and Space Travel by Willy Ley

When the rocket engine is firing there is a force
within the engine. Imagine the opening is at the bottom.
That is, the exhaust is coming out of the bottom. Well
the force against the right side of the inside of the
engine is balance by the force against the left side. In
fact the forces against all sides, not in line with the
exhaust, are countered by their opposite sides. It's only
the force against the top of the engine, which is in line
with the exhaust, that has no counter force within
the engine. So the only direction
the rocket can go is up from the un-countered
upward force of the firing engine. Actually with no air
the engine is more efficient because the air would only
slow down the escaping exhaust and thus choke the
effect of the upward push of the firing.

Answer 3

Space is not a vacuum. It is a matrix composed of something, otherwise we could not have light waves or radio waves etc. since waves, in order to exist, must have a media in which to undulate Sound is an undulation usually of air and sea waves, of water. Space matrix is too tenuous to support sound. Light is not that fussy
. But even if space were a vacuum. "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction" So the space craft pushes against what it ejects

Answer 4

Rocket propulsion does not require a medium to push hostile to. for each action there is an equivalent and opposite reaction. The action, in ths case, is the forcing of rocket exhaust out of the engine by employing the explosion of combustion, and the reaction is the stream of the rocket in the different direction. The pushing is done by employing the rocket exhaust on the again of the engine, and the stress is geared up by employing the upward push of combustion products contained in the continual explosion. the actual undeniable reality that area is a vacuum yet rockets artwork ok up there might want to signify to you that your reality about desiring something to push hostile to is defective.

Answer 5

Even a plane or jet works by throwing the mass in the direction opposite of the desired direction.

To turn a space ship they use small thruster jets in the nose which turn the ship and then the main engines just "push" the ship in the new direction.

Answer 6

Just because there is "nothing" to push against doesn't mean THRUST doesn't work. It does, of course. The entire solar system and beyond is laced with Gravity and (why do you think comets get pulled inside the solar system from without?) and so there is always something to push against, even though we can't necessarily see it.

Answer 7

IT THRUSTS