Why are space rockets shot straight up? Wouldn’t it be easier to make a spacecraft that ascends like regular aircraft until it’s out of the atmosphere?
In: Technology
They aren’t shot straight up. They’re shot in an arc. And to escape Earth’s gravity you have to reach a certain speed. It’s very difficult to reach that speed with an aircraft. Rockets provide much more thrust than aircraft engines. An aircraft engines push on air. The higher you go, the less air there is, and at some point aircraft engines won’t work any more, and wings can’t provide lift. Rockets carry their own propellant rather than pushing on the air.
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