The activities below explore the bursts of energy that are important and helpful in the world of air and space. 

We'll answer the following questions:

  • What exactly is an explosion? 
  • How is it different from other big reactions?
  • What are some examples of energy bursts in air and space?

Jump to a Section:      Learn about Rocket Launches      Activity: Balloon Blast-Off      Learn about Supernovas      Activity: Supernova Dance      Story Time Recommendations      Spotlight Story      Collections Connections

Live Event

Flights of Fancy Story Time: Rocket Ship, Solo Trip

We'll be joined by author Chiari Colombi this month! She'll read her book, Rocket Ship, Solo Trip, a story that follows Rocket as she embarks on her first solo launch! Follow her from the launch pad to lift off and out into space. Finally, help Rocket overcome her fears and reenter Earth's atmosphere at super speeds!
 

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Learn About Rocket Launches

What is combustion? 

  • Combustion is simply the process of burning something! 
  • For combustion to happen, you need two things: oxygen and a fuel. 
  • Examples of fuel include logs in a campfire, the gas in a car, or hydrogen for a rocket. 

What is an explosion? 

Explosions are just combustion reactions that happens really fast and release a ton of energy.  A controlled burst of energy from an explosion is how we power things from cars to rockets.

How does this work? Check out three different types of engines here and how combustion is used:

A photo taken from one of the corners of the Nation of Speed exhibit. Three aircraft hang from the ceiling in front of a sign that says Nation of Speed and a corvette is under the sign.

Car Engine

  • The engines in non-electric cars use fuel and air to create combustion inside of cylinders, which pushes pistons outward. 
  • The pistons are connected to a crankshaft that spins and sends the energy to other parts of the car.
  • These piston engines also power propeller aircraft, like small planes and helicopters!
A large metal engine, at the far right is a barrel shape that appears to have a fan inside. Protruding from the barrel shape is a cone with many silver fixtures.

Turbofan Jet Engine

  • Jet planes use fuel and air to create combustion inside of their engines. This pushes hot exhaust out of the back of the engines and pushes the plane forward. 
  • Before that happens, though, the engines need a ton of air to fuel their combustion! 
  • So, they use a turbofan to suck air in from the front and squeeze it down so they can combust as much as possible to get more energy. 
A huge engine hangs from the ceiling in front of a mirror, giving the effect of multiple engines. It is lit from below giving a warm glow of a rocket about to blast off.

Rocket Engine

Rockets use combustion almost just like planes! They use combustion inside of their engines to propel exhaust backward and themselves forward. But, instead of sucking a bunch of air into the engines to combust, they bring everything they need for combustion with them. This is because rockets sometimes go to space, and there is almost no air in space!
 

See Diagrams of the Engines in Action
  

Watch this video to see the launch of NASA's Artemis I Space Launch System on November 16, 2022. This rocket used its powerful engines to carry a Orion capsule to the Moon and back as a test to see if it would work.

Activity: Baking Soda Balloon Blast-Off!

Best for ages 9 and up, with help from a grown up | Activity will take around 15 to 30 minutes

How can we generate more thrust, like the combustion in an engine? Let's create a chemical reaction! 

To keep our chemical reaction safe today, we'll be combining vinegar and baking soda, producing carbon dioxide to propel a balloon.

A diagram showing how propulsion works.

A diagram image of two red balloons, side-by-side above a large rocket engine. 

The left balloon is tied shut, with arrows showing the air inside pushing equally against all sides. This balloon is labelled "equilibrium." 

The right balloon has arrows pushing against each of the sides, and is untied on its right end, releasing air out. The release arrow is large and labeled "action" while the opposite direction, propelling the balloon, has a large arrow labeled "reaction." These words also have lines pointing to the same reaction happening in the rocket engine underneath.

Materials

  • Balloon
  • Small empty drink bottle 
  • Small funnel 
  • Spoon
  • Baking soda (2 tablespoons)
  • Vinegar (4 ounces)
  • Paper towels or something to wipe up any messes!
A blue balloon attatched to an empty water bottle is inflated by the gases that were created in the bottle.
  

Instructions

  1. Head outside - this experiment could get a little messy!
  2. Using the funnel, add the baking soda into the balloon.  Two people may be needed for this: one person to hold the balloon open and the other person to pour the baking soda into of the balloon. Hold onto it or set it aside, careful not to let any baking soda spill out.
  3. Separately, pour the vinegar into the bottle.
  4. Carefully fit the balloon opening over the bottle, being careful not to drop the baking soda into the bottle of vinegar yet. 
  5. Once the balloon is fitted snugly on the bottle opening, hold up the rest of the balloon and allow the baking soda to fall into the vinegar.
  6. Watch as the vinegar and baking soda meet and react, then see what happens next! This effect is similar to how thrust is generated when fuel and oxygen react to each other in an engine.
  7. Pinch the nozzle of the balloon to keep in any pressure, then remove it from the bottle and release it to see how far it flies! 

Think About It!

  • What happened when the baking soda met the vinegar? Why did the balloon inflate?
  • The chemical reaction produced carbon dioxide, which tried to escape the bottle and filled the balloon instead!
  • How could you apply this experiment to thinking about engines and combustion reactions? How is it similar? How is it different? (Hint - look in the section above as a reminder of what combustion is, and what an explosion is).

Learn About Supernovas

What is a supernova?

An image taken by a space telescope and colorized by scientists and artists, this gives us a picture of the cosmos. The edges are black with white glowing dots that appear as stars. In the center is the crab nebula, an organic circular shape that opens like a wound or a rip in the the black starry field. There are spindly formations that stretch towards the center of the opening, layers and layers deep, like vines. The opening is mostly shades of blue and green, with some orange around the edge.
  

A supernova is a star that has exploded because it has reached the end of its life.

Supernovae are some of the biggest and brightest events in the universe.

The image above is of the Crab Nebula, one of the most studied remnant of a supernova, which means it's what's left behind after the star explosion.

The supernova that created the Crab Nebula exploded over almost 1000 years ago. The event was observed and recorded by astronomers in China and Japan!

Why are supernovae important? 

   

When a star explodes, it spreads star materials, like the chemical elements carbon and iron. Almost everything on Earth, including life on our planet, is made of elements from supernovas!

A supernova also provides material for new stars. 

Watch this video to take a tour of the Crab Nebula and find out what is left behind after a star explosion.

 

Activity: Supernova Dance

Move your body to learn more about how and why supernovae happen!

This dance is going to use big, energetic movements and your imagination, so make sure you have some room to move. 

Grownups, read these supernova steps out loud to your family and have them follow the instructions!

1. A star shines steady and strong for most of its life. (Gentle Twirling)

Start dancing slowly, spinning gently around the stage with their arms wide, like a happy, shining star. Make soft, flowing movements, like stretching out their arms or twirling. These movements show the star squeezing its fuel in space to make energy.

Music suggestions: First two minutes of Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 Op. 46: I. Morning Mood by Edvard Grieg

2. The star grows bigger. (Expanding Movements)
As the star balloons out, the kids start to make bigger movements, stretching their arms and legs wide apart. They could do large, sweeping arm motions or jump and reach up, growing taller and wider. This represents the star running out of fuel and growing into a supergiant.

Music suggestions: Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg

3. The Pressure Builds (Quick Spins and Bounces)
Now, the music gets a little faster! Start bouncing on their feet and spinning quickly, showing the star’s pressure building up. They could add some wobbly or quick movements to show that the star is getting ready to explode. This part is full of excitement!

Music suggestions: Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg

4. The star collapses! 
After the star expands, the nuclear fusion in the center decreases so gravity takes over and the star start to collapse. Bring your arms in close and hug yourself. 

Music suggestions: Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg

5. The Big Burst (Big Jumps and Arm Flashes)
Boom! Use your best fast, energetic jumps, twirls, and arm bursts! You can run fast in place, spin, and clap your hands loudly, as if the star is bursting out in all directions. Imagine the star throwing out colorful "energy" as they wave their arms and leap into the air with big, joyful moves. This is the big moment when the supernova happens!

Music suggestions: First 30 seconds of Carmen: Prelude by Georges Bizet 

6. The Shockwave (Flowing, Wave-like Movements)
After the explosion, slow down to show the shockwave traveling outward. They can sway side to side with their arms flowing like waves, moving in smooth, curved patterns to represent the shockwave moving through space. These gentle movements create a calm after the big explosion.

Music suggestions: Gymnopedie No. 1 by Erik Satie

7. The Star’s Remains (Small, Spiraling Movements)
To show the star collapsing, slowly curl into a tight ball and spin slowly on the ground, bringing your bodies inward like a shrinking core. You can pretend to be a small, tight ball, or move your hands in circles, mimicking the way the core of the star might turn into a black hole or neutron star.

Music suggestions: Gymnopedie No. 1 by Erik Satie

8. The Aftermath (Dancing Particles and Stardust)
End the dance by gently moving around the dance floor like floating particles, moving in slow, happy patterns. They could twirl and float, pretending to be bits of stardust that spread out and form new stars or planets. The music would be calm and peaceful, signaling the start of a new cycle in space.

Music suggestions: Gymnopedie No. 1 by Erik Satie

Story Time Recommendations

An illustration of a rocket with the text "Wonderous" next to it.

Rocket Ship, Solo Trip

By Chiara Colombi
Illustrated by Scott Magoon
Best for ages 4 - 8

Follow Rocket as she embarks on her first solo launch! Follow her from the launch pad to lift off and out into space. Finally, help Rocket overcome her fears and reenter Earth's atmosphere at super speeds!

A book cover featuring a girl with short brown hair in pigtails. She holds a book to her chest and a pencil in her fist, and she is excitedly watching as a rocket takes off. The title of the book "Blast Off! How Mary Sherman Morgan Fueled America into Space, Suzanne Slade, Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport" is overlaid over the illustration.

Blast Off! How Mary Sherman Morgan Fueled America Into Space

By Suzanne Slade
Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport
Best for ages 7 - 8

The inspirational story of Mary Sherman, the world's first female rocket scientist, who overcame gender barriers and many failures to succeed.

A colorful book cover with the words “Hooray for SLS” in cloud letters. In the bottom left is a fair-skinned girl with wavy blonde hair looking upwards. In the bottom right is a brown-skinned boy with short curly black hair and a big smile. In the center is a brown and white dog. Behind them, in the center of the cover, is a little astronaut, a pink star-shaped balloon, and an orange rocket.

Hooray for SLS!

By Lane Polak
Illustrated by Heather Legge-Click
Best for ages 3 - 8

Hooray! NASA is working to send humans back to the Moon to live, learn, and explore through the Artemis campaign. As a member of the Artemis Generation, NASA invites you to be a part of the story!

Book cover, featuring an astronaut floating against a starry space background and the title "Clouds in Space.”

Clouds in Space

By Teresa Robeson
Illustrated by Diana  Renzina
Best for ages 7 - 9

This non-fiction book is about nebulae, or space clouds, that are left behind after a massive supernova explosion.

Spotlight Story

Mary Sherman Morgan, Rocket Fuel Chemist

Learn more about an early rocket scientist who helped propel us into space!

  • Mary Sherman Morgan was born in 1921 in Ray, North Dakota, into a poor farming family. She didn’t start school until she was nine years old, but by 1939, she had graduated as the top student in her class and received several scholarship offers to study chemistry in college.
  • Mary moved to Ohio for college but never finished her degree because World War II started. As a talented chemistry student, she was hired by the Plum Brook Ordinance Works, a munitions factory, to help make explosives for the war.
  • After the war, Mary got a job with North American Aviation’s Rocketdyne Division, where she helped design rocket fuel. She was promoted to Theoretical Performance Specialist, where she tested how well different rocket fuels worked. Mary was the only woman among 900 men at the company.
  • When the space race began in the 1950s, the United States needed new rocket fuels to compete with the Soviet Union. Mary led a project to create a new rocket fuel called Hydyne. This fuel was special because it could launch rockets all the way into orbit, something no other fuel could do.
  • On January 31, 1958, the United States launched the Explorer 1 satellite into orbit using Mary’s Hydyne fuel. This was the first successful rocket launch into orbit for the United States!
  • After Mary passed away in 2004, her son George worked to share her story with the world. He wrote a screenplay called "Rocket Girl" about his mom, which was later turned into a book. Thanks to George, more people now know about Mary, the first female rocket scientist.

Collections Connections

  • Northrop P-61C Black Widow aircraft in a museum setting and photographed from the side
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    P-61 Black Widow Interceptor

    This aircraft has two rotary combustion engines, which use the same type of cylinders as a car! The engines turn the propellers of the plane.
     

  • A metal contraption that is larger than a person with a huge bell opening at the end.
    Download Image

    H-1 Rocket Engine

    The H-1 rocket engine was an important part of the Saturn 1 and Saturn 1B rockets. These rockets were used in the early days of space travel to help get ready for the Apollo missions, which sent astronauts to the Moon. Each Saturn 1 and Saturn 1B rocket had eight H-1 engines that helped launch them into space!

    A company called Rocketdyne made the H-1 engine for NASA. It was really powerful because it burned a special fuel called RP-1, which is like kerosene, along with liquid oxygen. This engine created 188,000 pounds of thrust, which is a lot of power to send rockets into space.

    The H-1 engine was used in missions like Apollo 7 in 1968 and the Skylab space station missions in the 1970s.

  • A black spy plane stands in an all black air hanger, lit from the light from above. The curvy form of the plane--bulging at two engines on either wing and curving up toward the cockpit--give the sense of an almost science fiction aircraft (although it's very real).
    Download Image

    SR-71 Blackbird

    The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was the world’s fastest jet-powered aircraft. It was built to fly high and fast, making it one of the most amazing planes in history. The Blackbird was used by the U.S. Air Force for reconnaissance, which means it was designed to gather information without being detected by enemies. It could fly so fast and high that no other plane could catch it!

    The SR-71 flew more than 2,800 hours over 24 years of service. On its final flight in 1990, two pilots, Lt. Col. Ed Yeilding and Lt. Col. Joseph Vida, set a speed record by flying from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., in just 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 20 seconds! They were flying at an average speed of over 2,100 miles per hour, faster than the speed of sound!

    This incredible aircraft was designed by Clarence "Kelly" Johnson and built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. Its body was made mostly of titanium to handle the heat from flying so fast. The Blackbird’s powerful engines and special shape helped it fly higher and faster than anything else at the time.

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  • Northrop P-61C Black Widow aircraft in a museum setting and photographed from the side
  • A metal contraption that is larger than a person with a huge bell opening at the end.
  • A black spy plane stands in an all black air hanger, lit from the light from above. The curvy form of the plane--bulging at two engines on either wing and curving up toward the cockpit--give the sense of an almost science fiction aircraft (although it's very real).

Soar Together at Air and Space is made possible by the generous support of Northrop Grumman.

 

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