User:DrunkBicyclist/sandbox
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Rocket propellant, colloquially known as rocket fuel, is the reaction mass expelled by a rocket at high speed in order to produce a thrust. This is an application of Newton's third law; the action of rapidly venting the propellant's mass in the opposite direction causes a reaction on the rocket that propels it forward. Propellant achieves high velocities either from combusting with itself, as in a chemical rocket engine, or by receiving energy externally from a more exotic engine, such as with the ion thruster, thermal rocket, resistojet rocket, and others.
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Unlike jet fuel, which requires atmospheric oxygen fed into the engine to provide a portion of the reaction mass, rocket propellant is stored entirely within the vehicle. This makes rockets perfectly suited for the vacuum of space. Although commonly associated with space travel, rocket propellant sees a plethora of applications including ejection seats, rocket-powered aircraft, and rocket cars.