Apparently, the logic of building a rocket is not that difficult. When we design a rocket, one of the first questions we ask is what do we want the rocket to do? In other words, what mission will the rocket perform? Identifying what mission a rocket will perform helps us understand what characteristics a rocket must have (these are called “mission requirements”). For example, if a rocket’s mission is to carry humans into space, then it will require cabin space for the astronauts, pressurization equipment, and multiple redundancies to ensure safety. Identifying these mission requirements helps us understands the multiple design tradeoffs we need to consider to get to a final design. To get to a final design, a rocket designer must tradeoff three things – size, weight, and power. Going back to our example, the astronaut cabin, pressurization system, and redundant components will add weight to the rocket and will require more power to keep running. More weight and power means we need a la...