"If there is a small rocket on top of a big one, and if the big one is jettisoned and the small one is ignited, then their speeds are added"

Hermann Oberth's quote is a recommendation to the concept of staging in rocketry. Staging is the process of utilizing numerous rockets to increase the speed of a spacecraft. In this quote, Oberth is suggesting that if a smaller sized rocket is put on top of a larger one, and the larger one is jettisoned, then the smaller sized one can be sparked and the speeds of the two rockets will be totaled. This is a helpful technique for increasing the speed of a spacecraft, as the smaller rocket can be fired up after the bigger one has actually been jettisoned, therefore providing an extra increase of speed. This technique is still used today in contemporary rocketry, and is a fundamental part of area exploration. Oberth's quote is a pointer of the significance of staging in rocketry, and how it can be used to increase the speed of a spacecraft.