History Main / ExplosionPropulsion

This is similar to the videogame strategy or move called RocketJump, where players launch a rocket just below themselves as they jump to go up much higher. To avoid overlap gameplay examples should go there, but if it [[GameplayAndStorySegregation only appears in cinematics]] the examples should go here.

* Nuclear pulse propulsion is used by the humans to drive a warship in Larry Niven and Jerry Pournell's ''Footfall''. Whenever the main engine was in operation in the ensuing space battle, the onomatopoeia "WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM" was used. One of the crew reflected that "God was knocking, and he wanted in ''bad''."

* In ''VideoGame/WingCommander IV'', [[TheDragon Seether]] does this utilizing mines deployed from his own fighter, in one instance using it to allow a bomber he was flying to go to escape.

* [[TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja Dr. McNinja]] does it [[http://drmcninja.com/page.php?pageNum=20&issue=13 here]].

* Used on the ''Virtuality'' pilot as the ship's method for approaching one tenth Light Speed (Based on real-life Orion Drive concepts).

* Nuclear pulse propulsion is a method being studied on and off using nuclear detonations to propel a spacecraft. It's sometimes referred to as an 'Orion Drive' after the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_(nuclear_propulsion) first serious attempt to develop the concept]]. See also [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Plumbbob Operation Pumbbob]], in which an underground nuclear bomb test blew the metal cap off of the bomb's drill shaft at extreme velocity.

* In ''WingCommander IV'', [[TheDragon Seether]] does this utilizing mines deployed from his own fighter, in one instance using it to allow a bomber he was flying to go to Jump Drive (which normally can't). Lampshaded by Hawk:
--->''Hawk: When I signed up for Confed there was a rookie pilot on my ship. He was the only guy I ever knew who could do that trick.''

* Not voluntary example: in ''Film/MissionImpossible'', Ethan Hunt jumps off the helicopter just as he put explosive gum on it. The blast practically pins Ethan on the train he was jumping on.

* Toward the end of [[PixarShorts ''Tokyo Mater'']], [[{{Cars}} Mater]] is forced to get to TokyoTower as part of a drift race before the villain does (because if he loses, then he will lose his modifications), and in the process, he is launched into the air by a construction site fire caused by Dragon McQueen.

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* The volcano in ''SpaceChimps'', kind of.

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* The {{Metroid}} series features the Morph Ball Bombs, and ExplosionPropulsion is arguably their primary function. Most of them that you'll ever use will be to send Samus airborne while she's in Morph Ball form.

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* {{BoringButPractical}} This trope is pretty much how a gun fires a bullet.

* This trope is pretty much how a gun fires a bullet.

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* Nuclear pulse propulsion is a method being studied on and off using nuclear detonations to propel a spacecraft. It's sometimes referred to as an 'Orion Drive' after the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_(nuclear_propulsion) first serious attempt to develop the concept]]. See also [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Plumbbob Operation Pumbbob]], in which an underground nuclear bomb test blew the metal cap off of the bomb's drill shaft at extreme velocity.
* This trope is pretty much how a gun fires a bullet.
* The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse_jet_engine pulse jet engine]], with the WWII buzz-bomb being the most widely known example.
* Diesel engines are sometimes described as such, which explains why they're noisier than Petrol engines (the clattering sound diesels make is equivalent to the "knocking" phenomenon in petrols where the air-fuel mixture burns ''explosively'' rather than progressively) and have higher torque.

* In the original ''DragonBall'' TV series, Goku launches himself sky-high at Piccolo using an explosive kamehameha right at the ground below him. Goku is moving so fast after the propulsion that he literally flies ''through'' Piccolo, like a human bullet.
** and in a later episode he does the same thing again by firing the kamehameha ''using his feet''.

* In ''[[RanmaOneHalf Ranma 1/2]]'', Ranma and Akane are falling from hundreds of feet in the air thanks to the [[BlowYouAway tornado]] created by the [[FinishingMove Hiryuu Shouten Ha]]. Intent on revenge, [[TricksterMentor Happosai]] uses the force of his Happodaikarin (a highly-concentrated explosive) to boost himself up to their height; both he and Ranma use the updraft from the explosion (and Happosai's "flying squirrel" costume) to slow their descent.

* In the movie ''TreasurePlanet'', as the ship and its crew are trying to escape a star devolving into a black hole they decide to ride one of the explosions coming form the star right before it's completely a black hole.
** To clarify, it was immediately a fully grown black hole, and it was essentially 'belching' loads of X-rays in waves after sucking in the supernova remains, as real black holes do. So, not really an explosion, but the same concept. It's also notable that the actual 'explosion' was providing little to no direct propulsion at all. The ship actually absorbed the explosion's power via its 'solar sails' to in turn supercharge its engines and rocket launch back to safety.

* ''{{GURPS}}: Spaceships'' has various nuclear pulse engines. In ''GunFu'' there is a perk that lets a cinematic character propel himself with the recoil of his gun.

* [[EightBitTheater Black Mage]] did [[http://www.nuklearpower.com/2002/12/24/episode-229-blast-off/ a variant]] with a "[[KamehameHadoken BOATDOKEN!]]"

* Just used on the ''{{Virtuality}}'' pilot as the ship's method for approaching 1/10th Light Speed (Based on real-life Orion Drive concepts).

** IReadThatAs: ''Sharks'' tried to do a rocket jump by using a rocket launcher to get to the top of the tower in {{Doomsday Arcade}}. Queue a pictures of sharks armed with rocket launchers.
*** All I want is frickin' lasers.

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* In the movie ''TreasurePlanet'', as the ship and it's crew are trying to escape a star devolving into a black hole they decide to ride one of the explosions coming form the star right before it's completely a black hole.

* Ironhide does this in {{Michael Bay}}'s 2007 film version of ''Film/{{Transformers}}''. It's awesomeness is severely diminished by a random screaming lady who's in the shot for no reason. Which lead to a RiffTrax joke, "A whole lot of effort to get a peek down her shirt."
* Subverted in the [[Film/IronMan Iron Man]] film: near the beginning, Tony Stark is near one of his own bombs when it blows up, sending him flying several yards. However, in spit of his bulletproof vest, he gets enough shrapnel in him to kill him if it's not removed [=ASAP=].

* Ironhide does this in {{Michael Bay}}'s 2007 film version of ''{{Transformers}}''. It's awesomeness is severely diminished by a random screaming lady who's in the shot for no reason. Which lead to a RiffTrax joke, "A whole lot of effort to get a peek down her shirt."

* This is the basis for rocket jumping in a variety of games.

* Rocket motors, real life.
**Not really. All of the "exploding" happens in an internal combustion chamber, like a car engine. The hot gases are just spewed out a tiny hole at sonic speeds, and accelerate as they expand inside the giant nozzles. The actual thrust comes from this acceleration.