ment , ▁into ▁weapons ▁of ▁war . ▁The ▁first ▁recorded ▁use ▁of ▁rock ets ▁as ▁military ▁weapons ▁was ▁in ▁ 1 2 3 2 . ▁The ▁Chinese ▁‘ arrow s ▁of ▁fire ’ ▁were ▁fired ▁from ▁a ▁sort ▁of ▁cat ap ult ▁launch er . ▁The ▁black ▁pow der ▁was ▁pack ed ▁in ▁a ▁closed ▁t ube ▁that ▁had ▁a ▁hole ▁in ▁one ▁end ▁for ▁esc aping ▁hot ▁g ases , ▁and ▁a ▁long ▁stick ▁as ▁an ▁elementary ▁stability ▁and ▁guidance ▁system . ▁ ▁Black ▁pow der ▁had ▁a ▁very ▁low ▁specific ▁imp ulse , ▁however . ▁Re fin ements ▁in ▁ro cket ▁design ▁were ▁made ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁few ▁hundred ▁years , ▁at ▁least ▁on ▁paper . ▁In ▁ 1 5 9 1 ▁a ▁Belg ian , ▁Jean ▁Be av ie , ▁described ▁and ▁sketch ed ▁the ▁important ▁idea ▁of ▁mult ist age ▁rock ets . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 6 0 0 , ▁rock ets ▁were ▁being ▁used ▁in ▁various ▁parts ▁of ▁Europe ▁against ▁caval ry . ▁By ▁ 1 6 8 8 , ▁rock ets ▁we igh ing ▁over ▁ 1 2 0 ▁pounds ▁had ▁been ▁built ▁and ▁fired ▁with ▁success ▁in ▁Germany . ▁These ▁German ▁rock ets , ▁carrying ▁ 1 6 - p ound ▁war head s , ▁used ▁wooden ▁pow der ▁cases ▁rein for ced ▁with ▁lin en . ▁ ▁Black ▁pow der ▁rock ets ▁reached ▁a ▁new ▁level ▁of ▁performance ▁with ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁iron ▁h ull s ▁and ▁high - press ure ▁comb ust ion