Why don't rockets Fly UP?

Question

I mean they always fly past the planets.
What happens if they fly up from the Poles for example.
I know about the rotation of the earth and the slingshot effect. The universe is flat so why do we not fly perpendicular to it?

Answer 1

To begin with, they would first have to set up launching equipment at the poles, which would be a major project. However, if they did that, then rockets could indeed be launched from the poles. The problem then is, you have to use more fuel and time to get down onto the orbital plane of whatever planet or other object you want to visit. It's much easier to launch from close to the Equator.

Answer 2

First of all, there is NO universal "up", directional measurements must always be with respect to some reference frame...and that reference frame is usually there Earth where any direction away from the surface is considered "up".

Secondly, The universe is not "flat". What you were probably trying to say was that the solar system is flat, which is true to some degree...depending on how you define solar system, although there are orbiting objects (Pluto for example, whatever you want to label it as) which orbit out of the normal plane which most other planets, more or less, stay within.

We don't send many space craft "up" from the poles because there is not much to look at in that direction, all the interesting stuff is either in out solar system or very very far away.

Answer 3

If you actually want to acheive orbit you get a nice boost from the rotation of the Earth; an extra 0.5 km/s. I think you are asking why we don't fly out of the ecliptic. There is not much to see there, but in fact using gravity assist, Voyagers one and two are heading towards the poles of the ecliptic as they leave the solar system.

Answer 4

The plane of the Earth's orbit is called the Ecliptic. NASA/ESA sent the Ulysses probes out of the Ecliptic to study the Sun's poles. There is not much to study out of this plane within our solar system. That's why most spacecraft fly near the planetary disc. The universe is not flat, but the planetary disc is almost flat. NASA launches satellites into polar orbit regularly.

Answer 5

Because there's nothing up there to see. Well, nothing within a few lightyears anyways.

The closest things that we can get to in any reasonable amount of time is in our own solar system. With the exception of comets and such, which again, if we want to meet up with them in any reasonable time, it has to be when it's in our solar system, and generally, not too far off the plane of everything else in it.

FYI, Voyager 1 just managed to get to the outer rim of our solar system a couple weeks ago, after 28 years. It will take far longer than that to reach another celestial body, but at least it had some interesting sights along the way so far.

Answer 6

Well, I think rockets don't fly from the north pole because there is only water there. And they don't fly from the north pole because they will freeze. And I think the universe is not flat it is the shape of the earth's orbit.

Answer 7

I'm not exactly sure what you mean. Rockets are mostly used to achieve escape velocity. Which means they have to go fast enough to counter the gravitational force of the Earth. The universe is not flat but expanding in all directions. In space there really is no "up".

Answer 8

"UP" means they fly away from the center of the Earth. They do that.

"UP" is relative to the local gravitational field. There is no "UP" to the solar system, or galaxy, or Universe.

Answer 9

They need to escape the gravity of the earth as soon as possible so they need to take the shortest route which is up. It is also the quickest way to leave the atmosphere and redduce friction.

Answer 10

What makes you think the universe is flat?