Landing spacecraft depends strongly on the properties of the body that is being landed on. Let's compare some of the possibilities. Earth has strong gravity and a thick atmosphere; the moon has no atmosphere and gravity 1/6 as strong. An asteroid would have no atmosphere and very weak gravity. Gas giant planets have no surface; you can drop probes into them but you can't land. They also have very strong gravity and intense storms.
Returning to Earth involves aerobraking (using the outer atmosphere to slow down, which makes a lot of heat) followed by air-slowed descent (parachutes, or wings on a Space Shuttle). Landing can be on wheels on the ground (Shuttle), in air bags on the ground (Stardust probe), or splashing down at sea (Apollo).
Landing on Earth's Moon requires coming to a complete stop with rockets, against a fairly strong gravity field. There is no need for a heatshield without an atmosphere, nor is there any need to streamline the lander. It's a very different experience from landing on Earth, and the equipment and techniques are completely different.
2006-06-07 06:17:40
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answer #1
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answered by poorcocoboiboi 6
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Generally, a pressurized spacecraft is launches on top of a rocket from earth. One it has reached low earth orbit, it fires it's engines again to escape the earth's gravity well entirely. Then, it coasts for a period of time, usually in the order of days but a theoretical mission to mars could last months. Once it nears it's target, moon or planet, it fires it's engines in front of it to slow down into orbit around the target object. If the mission is to a planet the space craft may dip into the atmosphere to slow down without using so much fuel, but this necessitates a strong heat resistant craft. Then, usually, a smaller craft descends to the planet of moon using rockets, heat shield, or a combination of these to gently land.
2006-06-07 05:38:34
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answer #2
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answered by carljosephchandler 2
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oo what conspiracy will you dream up next. Oh guess what, there become no color interior the international back interior the early days of imagery, as you spot each thing become meant to be black and white. yet yet yet, the business revolution introduced alongside poisonous chemicals that have been put in the ambience which had the edge results of producing color and this become needless to say a scheme by potential of the rothschilds THERE I mentioned ROTHSCHILDS. i will work out alex jones going ape **** over this.
2016-12-13 14:58:59
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answer #3
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answered by ketcher 4
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standing up, I hope! they'd look silly on their butts.
2006-06-07 06:27:51
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answer #4
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answered by de bossy one 6
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