how fast can it go? before we can consider how fast a rocket can go, we need to consider what makes it move. whether it has just left the launch pad or is about to reach orbit, the rocket has some sort of hot gas coming out of the tail. it really doesn't matter whether it is hot gas or bowling balls or mannequins, what matters is that something is being thrown from the rocket. you may wonder why this works in space. i mean, there's nothing to push against up there, right? here's a little experiment for you to try. better yet, get someone who cares less about whether they get injured to try it. DISCLAIMER: if you fall and break your ass or any other part of your anatomy while trying one of my suggestions, you have made a poor judgement of your own ability to carry out the experiment. Your damage to you is your fault. I do not have mind control over you. I cannot hypnotize you into trying these things over the Internet. If you fall and hurt yourself you can only blame (1) gravity and (2) yourself. Thank you for your attention. We hope you have a pleasant flight here on ducksandrockets airlines. experiment find something to put on your feet that will allow you to roll or slide freely. rollerblades, rollerskates, skateboard, ice skates (on ice, preferably)... something so that if you don't have a good sense of how to balance on them you will be reading this from the ground. you should also find some sort of fairly massive object you can throw. a basketball will probably work. a bowling ball will work better. a sibling or significantly large pet, if you can get them to be still, is probably better yet. well, not for their welfare, but for the sake of the experiment. take the object you intend to throw and yourself (on the skates or wheels or blades) to somewhere you will have clearance to (a) throw the object and (b) roll in some direction after you do so. i guess you'll find out which direction if you keep reading. or, it's probable that you've already guessed which direction you will go. making this guess is good science. science is all about making a guess and then doing a test to see if you were right. okay! time for the test! (drumroll please) throw the object as hard as you feel you comfortably can without losing your balance. (if you lose your balance, you fall, and you'll have to try again. except on that trial, you'll be sore.) which way did you roll or slide? what happens if you throw the object with less force? do you roll or slide faster or slower? does the direction you roll or slide ever change regardless of how fast you throw the object? oh yeah, do this on a flat surface. if you try it on a hill, gravity will skew your results, guaranteed. what did we just see happen? please click to continue