How does a space shuttle get through the atmosphere?

How does a space shuttle get through the atmosphere?

The astronauts slow down by firing some thrusters and gravity begins to pull the shuttle to a lower orbit. As the shuttle gets lower, it eventually begins to plow through the Earth’s atmosphere at initial speed of about 17,000 miles per hour! Being in contact with the shuttle, it heats the shuttle’s surface.

How long does it take for a space shuttle to leave Earth’s atmosphere?

The space shuttle used approximately 1.1 million pounds of rocket propellant per booster, as well as additional fuel in its external tank, to accelerate into space. It took just 8.5 minutes to propel the space shuttle from ground level to the orbital height of at least 185 kilometers (115 miles).

How does a rocket escape Earth’s atmosphere?

A space rocket obviously doesn’t go anywhere unless you start its engine. So when you fire up your rocket engine, that makes the force that accelerates the rocket into the sky. Rockets move upward by firing hot exhaust gas downward, rather like jet planes—or blown-up balloons from which you let the (cold) air escape.

How do spaceships leave Earth?

In order to leave orbit, a spacecraft needs to be going fast enough to break free of gravity. To push a ship that is already in orbit farther from the planet, thrusters should be fired at the highest point in the orbit. Generally, a ship will go into higher and higher orbits until it intersects with its destination.

Why don t things burn up leaving the atmosphere?

“Objects coming back from space are traveling at many times Mach speed — faster than the speed of sound — so to keep from burning up or breaking up they must be protected from the intense heat caused by that friction.”

How long does it take to go out of the atmosphere?

“If you think about it, we’re accelerating a 4-1/2 million pound system from zero miles per hour to its orbital velocity of 17,500 miles per hour in those 8-1/2 minutes. So it’s a heck of a ride for the astronauts,” explained Mike Leinbach, a launch director at NASA.

How does a Space Shuttle enter the atmosphere?

Descent through atmosphere: After it’s safely out of orbit, the shuttle turns nose-first again and enters the atmosphere belly-down (like a belly-flop) to take advantage of drag with its blunt bottom. Computers pull the nose up to an angle of attack (angle of descent) of about 40 degrees.

How did the Space Shuttle burn up on return to Earth?

In 2003, the space shuttle Columbia and its seven crew members burned up as they were returning to Earth. After investigation, NASA discovered that damage to the left wing (that actually occurred during liftoff), let hot air in upon re-entry and caused the shuttle to lose control and burn up.

Can a rocket get past the Earth’s atmosphere?

Rockets that are launching things into space, like satellites or space probes, do have to get past the Earth’s atmosphere but don’t have much trouble doing it. Rockets encounter most of the resistance when they’re near the Earth’s surface. The higher up they get, the thinner the air gets, and the resistance pushing against the rocket gets lower.

What was the altitude of the Space Shuttle?

The quick answer is “thermosphere” when shuttles flew. By international agreement, the layers of the atmosphere stop at 100 km. Space shuttles, when they flew, were at about 275 to 300 km altitude, above all layers of the atmosphere. At that altitude there is still measurable drag…