>I can't find an explanation of the Oberth Effect that makes any damn sense. It's simpler than people make it. When a spacecraft is moving at a high velocity,

>I can't find an explanation of the Oberth Effect that makes any damn sense. It's simpler than people make it. When a spacecraft is moving at a high velocity, the amount of kinetic energy embodied by its fuel mass is a significant fraction of the chemical energy already present. And kinetic + chemical is greater than chemical alone. That's all there is to it.