Which is the most important technology in the history of human space exploration? There are two possible answers to this question. One, telescope, and two, rockets. In fact, with the help of rockets, people's dream of crossing the borders of the earth has come true.
Needless to say, how important a rocket is. From the spacecraft to the novotelescope, it is essential behind sending anything beyond the boundaries of the earth.
Now, in this 2020, rockets have become very normal for us. The space agencies are launching one rocket after another at a regular rate.In addition to government agencies such as the Russian space agency ROSCOSMOS, the European space agency ESA and the US space agency NASA, private enterprises such as Space-X are also producing and launching rockets. Especially Space-X has taken rocket technology a long way.
But how did all this start? We know the story behind the invention of the aircraft. I know about the activities of the Wright brothers. But who invented the rocket? How did people dream of crossing the borders of the earth? How did you realize that dream?
This history is so wonderful and ancient that there is no way to be surprised. Surely you are wondering, how old? This one and a half to two hundred years? Oops, didn't. If we want to hear the story of the first real rocket, we have to go back to China 600 years ago. That's right. The First Rocket Was Made by China! However, the advent of the original rocket is actually much earlier. In that ancient world.
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Since ancient times, people have been amazed to see the sky. The celestial objects have imagined the planets and stars. People had no idea what these heavenly objects really were and how they worked. So they thought of heaven as well as the abode of the gods in the sky. But the funny thing is, not the gods, but human beings were at the center of the universe as human beings at that time. In other words, as much as people are not worried about the gods, as the legend shows, the gods are more worried about people than that! I mean, it's our old habit to think of ourselves as great.
Richard Feynman went on to write about this idea of the ancients, saying that they thought angels flew from east to west carrying these planets and stars on their shoulders. Also, the legend mentions the sun god. The chariot pulls in the car who starts the journey every morning. That journey ends in the evening. In any case, it was in the ancient world that people first used technology like the primitive rocket or rocket.
লLatin edition of The Attic Nights (1808) by Alas Gilius; Image Source: dia.org
About 400 BC. This story is based on the writings of a Roman writer named Alas Gilius. He spoke of a Greek named Architas. The gentleman lived in the town of Tarantula. The city is now in southern Italy. The gentleman flew a wooden bird for the first time. The bird was tied to a rope. Steam was coming out from behind the bird as it flew, and the bird was moving forward. Notice that Newton's third law, the matter of action and reaction, he used here.
One thing needs to be made clear here. Just as humans breathed before oxygen was discovered, so did Arkitas' use of the reaction principle. He used this formula before Newton. But he did not understand the reason behind it.
More than 300 years later, another Greek invented another device, the Alexandria 'Hero' rocket. This device also rotated using steam. Yes, that's right. Turning, not moving forward!
Hero engine; Image Source: scitoys.com
It was called 'Hero Engine'. A fire is burning under a bowl filled with water. Upstairs, two tubes go into a round ball. In the heat of the fire, water evaporates and enters the sphere. It has two L-shaped tubes on either side. Through this tube steam comes out from both sides simultaneously. As a result, the ball continues to spin.
Speaking of which, then why are we throwing it into the original rocket? Because, we see the use of the same principle that modern rocket operates. Man and civilization have gradually progressed with these pieces of knowledge, imperfect meditative ideas.
Anyway, a lot has happened with Adi-Rocket. Let's go back to China this time!
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It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post. However, in the first century, they invented ordinary gun-powder. This gunpowder, later made of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal, was poured into bamboo tubes or tubes and used as a staple in religious ceremonies. This gunpowder is also called 'black powder'.
Frank Winter, a former curator of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, and his colleague Michael Newfield and Kerry Dorty of the Australian Powerhouse Museum have done extensive research. While searching, they discovered a related story from the manuscripts of Chinese writers. There is no way to know the truth or falsehood of this story. According to the story, the explosive bamboo tube at that time was called Ti Lao Shu (Mete-Rat). Because, in the beginning, these bamboo tubes were not blown. Instead, when it exploded, they would run around the ground.
Ancient Chinese rocket or fire-arrow; Image Source: thoughtco.com
Thirteenth century. The royal festival is going on. The festival is organized by the Chinese emperor Li Chung. Suddenly his wife screamed. A ‘mete-rat’ flew up and pushed under his chair. That's where the festival ends. And Lee Chung arrested and imprisoned those 'rats' who were in charge.
Scientists speculate that some of the explosive tubes may not have exploded. Maybe he jumped out of the fire. At that time gas and gunpowder came out from inside. These gun-powders pushed the tubes upwards while burning. There was a push of gas. As a result, this bamboo tube rocket flew.
The accident opened a new horizon for the Chinese. They began research on gunpowder-filled bamboo tubes. At first, the explosives were poured into a tube, tied to the tip of an arrow, and thrown away. A few days later they discovered that these tubes could leak on their own. The back of the tube is open. If the inner blast is set on fire, the gas and gunpowder powder that comes out from the back of the tube as a result of the explosion can fill these tubes and release them quickly. The first true rocket was born. And, in a few days, the opportunity came to test the effectiveness of these rockets.
চীChinese rocket in artist's brush; Image Source: wasfun.weebly.com
1232. The Mongols came to attack China. This is known as the 'Battle of Kai-Keng'. The Chinese were the first to use rockets in this war. Although Chinese writers refer to them as 'flying arrows of fire'. There is no way to know how effective these fire arrows were. But the morale of the Mongols was broken. They lost the battle and returned home. Later, back in the country, they themselves became involved in rocket research. Later, between the 13th and 15th centuries, various rocket experiments were found in different parts of Europe. It is believed that these Mongols also played a role in the spread of rockets in Europe.
During this time the rocket turned from a pleasure element to a completely destructive weapon. An Englishman named Roger Bacon improved the song-powder a bit. As a result, the range of the rocket increased. Jean Friesart of France noticed that if a missile could be fired through a missile tube without leaving an empty rocket, it would be better to hit the target. The modern bajuka was later developed based on this idea of Freisart. Meanwhile, an Italian named Joannes de Fontana invented a new type of weapon. It will bite the ground. Standing ashore, this weapon can be used to set fire to any nearby ship. In fact, it was a rocket-propelled torpedo.
চChinese fire-arrow in artist's brush; Image Source: thoughtco.com
For the next several days the main use of rockets was as weapons. Modern rockets could have been more of a messenger of destruction than they were born to travel in space. But did not. We'll get to that story a little later. In fact, if the pages of history are flipped linearly, we will have to come a little further and go back again. At first glance, it would seem that in the three hundred years after the 15th century, nothing much happened with rockets. Then, in the early 19th century, the Congreve rocket introduced the modern rocket. The actual facts are somewhat different. In the middle three hundred years the history of rockets has seen two important people. Who are they?
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1971. CBU. The city is now in Transylvania in central Romania. While searching for CBU public records, researchers suddenly found a strange manuscript. It became known as 'CBU Manuscript'. Written in German, this 450-page manuscript changed our perception of the history of rockets overnight. I mean, it's like the eyes go up to the forehead!
The author of the manuscript is Conrad Haas. The gentleman was the Chief Military Engineer of Transylvania (Austrian at the time). Haas was born in 1509. The manuscript, however, does not reveal much about his personal life. Not much is known about the original manuscript. However, researchers believe that the found part is the third volume of the original manuscript.
Haas describes a new technology here called ‘flying javelin’ or ‘flying spear’, which is surprisingly similar to the description of a multi-layered rocket. Haas also discovered the dynamics of delta or triangular wings, bell-shaped tubes, and the combination of different liquids to create liquid fuels.
র Rocket in CBU manuscript; Image Source: ancient-code.com
As can be seen from the manuscript, this military engineer was anti-war. Whether or not he actually used these discoveries is a matter of debate. Used, there is no solid evidence. That means no such statement was found. Again, there is no reason or rationale for not making such technology even after having all the ingredients to make it. Moreover, a man is preparing to launch a rocket, such an image is also in the manuscript. Whatever he is, Conrad Haske is now recognized as the inventor of the multi-layered rocket. [Details of the CBU manuscript can be read here.]
Earlier, this recognition was given by Kazimierz Simenovicz. He has lost not only recognition but also importance because of his smile. In fact, history does not remember the second place winner!
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The book The Great Art of Artillery has served as the foundation of modern rocket technology for over a hundred years. The Polish book was also translated into German (18) and English (1829).
The Great Art of Artillery; Image Source: lietuvosmenas.com
Kazimierz Simenoviকak was the Lieutenant General of the King of Poland in the Ordinance in Service. He originally wanted to write a two-volume book, The Complete Art of Artillery. But the work on the first piece was just finished before he died. In the first five chapters of this book, everything behind caliber, pyrotechnics, rockets, fireballs and various types of missiles has come up.
Since nothing like this has been found in any previous text or manuscript, he was previously thought to be the inventor of the multi-layered rocket. As I said before, he has lost this recognition. Because, before that, this technology was not only thought about, it has also been recorded.
In this context, another person has to speak. Johann Schmidlap. 18th century people. He is remembered in history for his first experiments with two- and three-stage rockets.
But the two important people who have been spoken of in the middle three hundred years, Simenovikzak or Schmidlap, do not fall among them. One of these two is Conrad Haas. Another is a hero of our subcontinent. Tipu Sultan!
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About 1973. APJ Abdul Kalam went to NASA's Walpus Flight Facility for training. While walking in the reception lobby, his eyes got stuck in a painting. There is a picture of a battlefield hanging. It shows several rockets coming from behind, and an army crashing into the front.
ইংরেEnglish forces upset by Mysore rocket attack on artist's brush; Image Source: Daily Star
It is not uncommon to have such a painting in a rocket flight center. But Abdul Kalam noticed with surprise that the soldiers who fired the rockets did not look exactly European, meaning white. Rather, they look like people from the subcontinent. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he moved closer to the painting.
It was a picture of the battle of the British troops with the forces of the hero Tipu Sultan of Mysore. There were images of British soldiers frustrated by the devastating rocket missile attacks by the Mysore army. Abdul Kalam felt pain and pride at the same time. The man whose name is supposed to be written in gold letters on the pages of history, how easily the people of the subcontinent have forgotten him! Although written in the pages of history, the fame of Tipu Sultan has somehow been lost. Talk about rubbing salt in my wounds - d'oh! What exactly did he do?
Mysore has had several wars with the British since the time of Tipu Sultan's father Haider Ali. The number of rocket soldiers in Haider Ali's army was about twelve.
During the reign of Tipu Sultan, Mysore had to face a more powerful East India Company. Tipu realized that in order to survive with the English, something new had to be invented. It is from this thought that he emphasized rocket research. A major change in rocket technology took place at the hands of Mysore researchers. Bamboo or something like that used to be the fuel cell of the rocket. Everything has been going on like this since the time of the Chinese. The people of Tipu started using iron boxes instead of bamboo.
The explosion of rocket fuel for this metal structure became more terrifying and intense. As a result, the speed and range of the rocket increased. These rockets could go up to a maximum of two kilometers and hit the target. The European rockets of that time could not even get close to the range or speed.
Tipu Sultan's party also added swords and bamboo sticks to the rockets. It could be placed in the groove of the fuel cell made of iron. In this case, iron tubes, usually eight inches long and one and a half to three inches in diameter, were used as fuel chambers. There was also special training for rocket-propelled grenade launchers to calculate the diameter of the tube and the distance to the target. There were also specially built rocket launchers. From this launcher five to ten rockets could be fired simultaneously.
বTipu Sultan, the hero of Mysore; Image Source: christies.net
Even then, due to misfortune and non-cooperation of the neighboring state, Tipu Sultan was martyred in the battle of Turankhalli in 1899. 600 rockets and 900 rocket parts were seized by the British from this war. These rockets were taken to England by William Congreve. Through reverse engineering, the English understood the inner workings of the Mysore rocket. Based on this, William Congreve invented the Congreve rocket.
Yes, he and his team developed some more rocket technology. But the Mysore rocket as its basis cannot be denied in any way.
This man is written in one corner of the pages of history. Will last a lifetime. But if a nation forgets its own history and tradition, why should the rest remember it? That is why the Congreve rocket is mentioned as the basis of modern rocket technology. The fame of a heroic martyr like Tipu Sultan is hidden.