# Does NASA really report the power of rockets in horsepower?

On a recent episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson said:

And to this day NASA will still report the power of rockets in horsepower, which is completely absurd, because no matter how many horses you string together, they will not elevate into space.So it just doesn’t make any sense!

Question: Is it true? Does NASA still report the power of rockets in horsepower?

Is this in press briefings, or educational material, or scientific literature?

cued at 04:35:

• Why not, it's a unit of power people are familiar with. They use other absurd units such as inches and lbf – JCRM Mar 7 at 12:11
• @JCRM I suppose because power is not a useful unit for launch vehicles. The question here is about does or doesn't, not should or shouldn't. – uhoh Mar 7 at 13:04
• It (or power/weight) is useful to get a feeling of just how much energy is being processed by such a small device. – ikrase Mar 7 at 22:54
• – uhoh Mar 8 at 23:17
• Maybe this question can be rephrased to "does NDGT use humor as a rhetorical device?". – user2705196 Mar 9 at 12:45

Yes, part of NASA's function is public outreach. As such they will use units such as "Aircraft Carriers$$^1$$" "School Buses$$^2$$" and "horsepower$$^3$$"

While not precise, expressing thrust in terms of horsepower notionally allows people to understand it more.

1: [...] horsepower [...]
2: [...] horsepower [...]
3: [...] horsepower [...]

• Yes, for PR purposes only. – Organic Marble Mar 7 at 14:05
• I've just asked How does NASA calculate "rocket horsepower"? – uhoh Mar 7 at 14:44