why is atmosphere reentry such an issue? If it is just because of speed hitting the atmosphere why can’t the spacecraft just slow down before and synchronise with earth rotation?
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Basically being in orbit means falling forward so fast that you do not lose altitude. If you want to go lower, you need to slow down, in order to fall toward the ground.
The issue is how you could transition from one to the other.
Using atmosphere to brake is “free braking”. The ship “only” needs to convert its kinetic energy into heat, which is what it does, the issue being … that is a LOT of energy, so that also is a lot of heat to shed.
The alternative is to burn fuel, which means bringing more fuel, and making sure the engines can still work. And it is much better not to do that, because that is added weight, complexity and hazard.
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