Supercavitating rocket-powered vehicle, illustration. Cavitation is the formation and rapid collapse of bubbles in a liquid due to changes in pressure. Supercavitation is the use of cavitation effects to create a bubble of gas or vapor large enough to encompass an object (here, a rocket-powered vehicle) traveling through a liquid, and allowing it to travel faster. The same principle applies to supercavitating torpedoes and missiles that use rocket engines. For this illustration with labels, see image C048/2872.