I just always assumed to achieve higher speeds in the universe you needed to be smaller and more aerodynamic. The Lockheed Blackbird is the fastest fighter jet we have and it goes only 2000mph. This fighter jet seems like it would be more aerodynamic than a rocket ship.
What is special about the rocket ships that allow them to achieve 25,000mph without being disintegrated when leaving the atmosphere and achieving escape velocity to go into space?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
In: 3
Simply put, purpose is the reason.
Aircraft need to take off and land. They also have a precise destination they need to hit (runway).
Rockets are primarily aimed, and take off within a specific window so they have minimal navigating they need to do. Additionally, most of the navigation is done outside the atmosphere where you have more control over changes. Also, rockets don’t need to land in the same way aircraft need to land. Most rockets allow significant parts to be disposed of and simply fall into the ocean. SpaceX is the exception by attempting to maximize reuse. Even with SpaceX the navigation is limited. They use a landing vehicle in the water to catch up to the rocket and it does most of the maneuvering except in the last few moments of landing.
These purposes are very different allowing for different parameters to be used in their construction. We see the most significant difference in terms of speed.
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