火药是中国古代“四大发明”之一,而火箭最早的应用也是在中国。中国宋代军队将纸筒包襄的火药绑在箭杆上,并在箭头安装配重金属块以维持飞行中的稳定,再用弓弩发射,燃烧的火药产生气体向后喷出,形成巨大的反作用力,能增大箭体的飞行高度和距离。这种火箭所利用的物理原理,与今天作为武器和运载工具使用的火箭是相同的。飞机飞行利用的是气流产生的升力,气球和飞艇利用的是空气的浮力,所以它们都只能在 Gunpowder is one of the “Four Great Inventions” in ancient China and the earliest application of the rocket is in China. In the Song Dynasty, the armies of the Song Dynasty, tied gunpowder’s gunpowder to the shaft, installed counterbalanced metal blocks on the arrows to maintain stability in flight, and then launched it with a crossbow. The burning gunpowder generated gas and spurted outwards, creating a huge reaction Force, can increase the rocket’s flying height and distance. The rocket uses the same physical principles as the rocket used today as a weapon and vehicle. Airplanes make use of the force of lift generated by air currents, and airplanes and airships make use of the buoyancy of the air, so they are only available at