Why is it a rocket🚀 is used to go straight up into outer space and not just use an airplane ✈️ ? I’m sure there is a good reason but it seems that the gradual assent would be preferred over the straight up approach.
In: Engineering
TLDR: There’s no air in space
Jet engines and gas engines need air to burn/explode fuel so they can’t work in space. While Rocket engines carry a supply of their own oxidizer so they don’t need air.
Airplanes also need air flowing over the wings to generate lift. However this can be overcome by having a powerful enough engine to provide rocket like thrust and to maneuver once the wings stop working. It just isn’t currently practical to design an aircraft that way.
Airplanes also don’t have enough thrust to achieve escape velocity to attain orbit. However again this is more a case of practicality than a physical limitation on the airplanes themselves.
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