Pavel Konečný – From Equation to Orbit or How Ciolkovskij Still Inspires

181th The Physics Café presents a speech during a week event Days of Electron Microscopy Brno:

Pavel Konečný – From Equation to Orbit or How Ciolkovskij Still Inspires

Reactive propulsion has been known for centuries, but it was only the Ciolkovskij rocket equation that demonstrated that the journey into space is not a matter of fantasy, but of physics. At the same time, it revealed the harsh trade-off between the amount of propellant carried, the exhaust velocity, and the resulting speed of the rocket.

It was precisely this trade-off that drove the evolution from simple solid-fuel rockets to liquid-propellant engines and to technologies that had to balance the demands of physics with the limits of materials, cooling, turbines, sensors, and control systems.

We will explore why chemical rockets are both inefficient and ingenious, why thrust is more important than energy efficiency during launch, and how close modern engines have come to the limits imposed by physics itself. Surprisingly, we will also discover that, from a purely energetic perspective, a chemical rocket is not so far removed from a classic steam engine – it simply operates under far more brutal conditions.

Important information:
Just like last year, it is possible to obtain an official certificate from the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, for completing the Physics Café as part of lifelong learning for teaching staff.

To receive the certificate, you need to “purchase” the educational course here: https://is.muni.cz/obchod/baleni/395950. The price is 0 CZK. The process is similar to buying goods in an online shop. You only need to make the “purchase” once per year (September–June).

The registration is not binding in any way. We will simply evaluate, for the given period, how many times you attended the Café, and you will receive a certificate indicating the extent of your participation (one Café = 2 hours). Only in-person attendance will be counted!

Take advantage of this opportunity to have an official record of your voluntary activity in furthering your professional qualifications!