Gunpowder and Rocketry
1 min readGunpowder and Rocketry
The development of gunpowder and the rocket have related histories，and both are believed to have originated in China.Gunpowder，also called black powder，was the first explosive and propellant and one of world history’s most important inventions.It has three ingredients-saltpeter，sulfur and charcoal，and it propelled the first bullets and rockets.The rocket used a low nitrate，slower-burning gunpowder and was self-propelled once the powder ignited.
Most likely gunpowder and the rocket were surprise discoveries rather than inventions.For centuries，Chinese Taoist philosophers experimented with chemicals to seek the answer to longevity.A Taoist book dating from about 850 AD，Classified Essentials of the Mysterious Dao of the True Origin of Things, warned not to mix certain ingredients，including sulfur，saltpeter，and other ingredients，because the mixture had been known to flame up，singe beards，and burn a house.8 The earliest recognizable gunpowder formulas are found in Essentials of the Military Classics，edited in 1044 by Zeng Gongliang（999-1078）. The first true gun appeared in about 1260.
The clearest early Chinese reference to a rocket device involves fireworks.In 1264，according to Rustic Talks in Eastern Qi（c.1290）by Zhou Mi（1232-1298），a fireworks display was held in the courtyard of the royal palace.One firework，called a”groundrat，”went up the steps of the throne of the empress mother and frightened her.It was thus self-propelled，that is，it was a rocket.
