Chinese create gunpowdered filled tubes from saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal dust.  These qunpowdered filled explosions were used at religious festivals in hopes that the loud explosions would scare away the evil spirits. Soon the Chinese started to attach bamboo tubes to arrows and launch them with bows. They discovered theat these gunpowder tubes could launch themselves just by the power produced from the escaping gas. The true rocket was born.