In the first century AD a Greek inventor known as Hero of Alexandria came up with a new invention that depended more on the mechanical interaction of heat and water. He invented a rocket-like device called an aeolipile, also known as Hero's engine. It used steam for propulsion. Hero mounted a sphere on top of a water kettle. A fire below the kettle turned the water into steam, and the gas traveled through the pipes to the sphere.

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Hero's Engine, First Recorded Steam Engine

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Photo credit: © Science History Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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