why do space rockets take off from a upright position instead of taking off of a runway like a plane, reach 40,000 ft and entering space from there.

Question

why do space rockets take off from a upright position instead of taking off of a runway like a plane, reach 40,000 ft and entering space from there.

In: Engineering

Answer 1

There are some concepts for high-altitude launches from a plane (Virgin), but the reason that most space programs don’t pursue this is that it adds an extra layer of complexity on top of getting your already-complex engines to fire. With the efficient engines that have been designed recently, it’s really not too wasteful to just keep the traditional vertical launch profile, especially for large rockets that any aircraft just can’t lift.