HOW TO BUILD A ROCKET

From their humble origins in the Chinese invention of gunpowder and fireworks in 700 CE to the towering behemoths that hurtle astronauts and satellites alike into space, the rocket remains the centrepiece of modern space travel. Whether they’re models designed and used by the biggest space agencies in the world or those constructed in the private sector to deliver parts and supplies to sites such as the International Space Station (ISS), the genesis and eventual launch of a rocket takes the involvement of hundreds of engineers and years of careful planning.

So where does it all begin? The main foundations of a rocket’s life can be broken up into a handful of key phases: formulation, detailed design and manufacturing and operations. During the formulation phase, the broad brushstrokes of the architecture and development plans are put into place. As part of making these decisions, a large number of potential concepts and variations are considered by multiple teams working in unison. “The conceptual studies on heavy-lift systems have been going on at a low level for decades in support of various initiatives,” says Tyler Nester, an associate chief engineer working on NASA’s hotly anticipated new Space Launch System (SLS). “The conceptual studies that helped shape the SLS