The oldest form of a rocket is a firework-rocket, of which the origin goes back to before the calendar era. In the 16th Century the firework-rocket was introduced in Europe, leading to the development of projectiles with rocket propulsion in the 18th and 19th Century. This development was halted however, due to the further development of canons. In the beginning of the 20th Century, the fundamental principles of rocket motion were set out by the Russian K.E. Tsiolkowski (1857 – 1935).
Later on, the American R.H. Goddard was to become a famous pioneer in rockets with liquid propellants, making significant contributions to rocket science in the period from 1920 – 1940. The most important break-through in the development of large rockets was the design and application of the German A-4 rocket (later to be named the V-2) before and during World War II. This V-2 rocket was in fact the prototype for the long range rockets developed initially by America and Russia after the Second World War, from which the large launchers were subsequently developed. A rocket is characterized by the nature of its motion and the applied method of propulsion. In general, rockets do not rely on aerodynamic lift generated by aero foils (wings), but rather have their motion governed by their weight and the propulsive force, as is produced by rocket engines
Mathematical modeling and simulation of ballastic rocket_Mohd Al-Amin Mat Salleh_A2_2008_NI