– could the space shuttle just fly into space like a plane, rather than being propelled vertically by rockets?
In: 48
So, generally the problem is that the shuttle has a LOT of drag and only a little lift. Which is fine when doing re-entry, where the drag helps as the goal is to slow down and glide in. That high drag and small lift does mean it glides rather steeply to a landing where it pulls out a flare up only at the last moment, which is fine. But now let’s say it tried going to orbit doing what you suggest. It’s still going to need all that extra stuff attached to the side, since there’s so little fuel in the actual “airplane” part. It will need the giant “drop tank” that’s bigger than the “airplane” itself, and it will still need the 2 huge solid boosters stuck on the side of that. Now remember how the lift was barely good enough for the empty Shuttle itself to glide? Now it’s having to hold up the giant full tank and full boosters too.
That’s not enough lift to fly like a plane. It’s going to have to be tilted way up just to fly level, and at that point it’s really just flying like a missile rather than a plane anyway. So you may as well embrace the truth that it’s a missile at that point, and fly it like all the other rockets get into orbit.
tl;dr – It only has enough lift to manage a glide when the fuel tank and boosters are gone. When going up to orbit with all that stuff attached, it’s too damned heavy.
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