Did Isaac Newton invent jet propulsion technology

Abstract

Since the 19th century, both popular and professional literature presented a possibility according to which Isaac Newton contributed to some extent to the invention of jet propulsion. In the presented paper, this view is carefully analysed. Various authors attributed to Newton the design of a road vehicle (the so-called Newton’s steam carriage) moved by ejection of hot steam. This opinion was expressed in certain works written by the first supporters of Newton, e.g. Willem Jacob ’s Gravesande, John Theophilus Desaguliers Desaguliers and Jean Antoine Nollet. What is more, there are miniature models of such a vehicle present in some collections of scientific instruments. Relying on the above examples, it would be hard to prove that Newton was indeed the true inventor of jet propulsion. However, there is no doubt that he was very interested in various engineering issues and invented several scientific instruments, e.g. the variant of a reflecting telescope, a sea octant and a rotary slide rule.