– could the space shuttle just fly into space like a plane, rather than being propelled vertically by rockets?

Question

– could the space shuttle just fly into space like a plane, rather than being propelled vertically by rockets?

In: 48

Answer 1

Plane engines themselves have limits on how fast they can fly. The SR-71 Blackbird’s max speed was 2,200 mph iirc. Orbital velocity is in the 17,000 mph range. I don’t think plane engines would work.

If you used rocket engines like a plane, you would need to accelerate to extremely high speeds while you’re in the thicker parts of the atmosphere.

Rockets have to burn upwards for a while to get out of the atmosphere. However, once they’re in the thinner part, they do start tilting over until they are faced horizontally, because they have to achieve the massive orbital speed I mentioned above.

So they do fly horizontally, but they definitely have to do it outside of (the thicker parts of) the atmosphere.