Science & Tech

What Is Rocket Staging? Learn About the Different Purposes of Each Rocket Stage

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Sep 30, 2021 • 7 min read

The fire pouring out the back of a spaceship during a rocket launch is jaw-dropping, but it takes a lot more to get a ship into space. That impressive fuel burnoff creates the thrust to propel the ship forward, but every rocket needs an extra kick of thrust to overcome its weight—as well as fuel, oxygen, and payload mass—and get through Earth’s atmosphere. The solution to that problem is the staging rocket.