relativistic rocket

From Spacefaring

Q1056429




Relativistic rocket means any spacecraft that travels close enough to light speed for relativistic effects to become significant. The meaning of "significant" is a matter of context, but often a threshold velocity of 30% to 50% of the speed of light is used. At 30% c, the difference between relativistic mass and rest mass is only about 5%, while at 50% it is 15%, ; so above such speeds special relativity is needed to accurately describe motion, while below this range Newtonian physics and the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation usually give sufficient accuracy.