Why do space rockets not take off like planes (i.e. straight up vs sideways and up)?
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When you want to reach orbit, you actually need to go horizontal more than vertical. BUT for this to be fuel efficient the first thing you do is going nearly straight up to reach thinner parts of the atmosphere. You do this because the air resistance close to the ground is so high that you would burn up before reaching the requires speed to leave the atmosphere. So you start straight up and then change Direction to a parable. Before reaching the highest point you accelereate more to make a circle out of this parable. Congrats, you have achieved orbit.
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