I watched the tape of the space shuttle Atlantis take off. When the shuttle reached orbit the shuttle was separated from the external fuel tank. The tank began to fall to earth, yet the shuttle stayed in orbit. This is my question, why did the external fuel tank fall and the shuttle did not?
2006-09-25 14:04:40 · 3 answers · asked by mr.answerman 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
A space shuttle uses both solid rocket boosters and liquid fuel engines. On the space shuttle itself are the main engines (liquid fuel) that are used through the entire trip up to orbit. The main engines however cannot provide enough force alone required to propel the entire structure into orbit, therefore solid rocket boosters are attached to assist in the main stages of launch.
Similarly, the launch of the space shuttle uses a significantly large amount of fuel of which the space shuttle itself cannot all contain. Therefore, the external fuel tank is attached to store the necessary fuel required in the launch alone and also allows the shuttle to keep its reserves for orbital maneuvering.
When the external fuel tank disengages, the main engines on the shuttle remain firing from the shuttles tanks just enough to take it into orbit, while the external fuel tank decelerates un-powered until it falls back down to Earth. The external fuel tank never made orbit.
This is an amazing process that takes very important and precise calculations and a huge team of scientists and engineers to make it happen!
2006-09-25 14:20:16 · answer #1 · answered by Ray Young 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
many times the commute is in low earth orbit and the time is relative to its distance above the exterior of the earth. often approximately ninety minutes for one orbit. At decrease altitudes, the drag from earth's environment is larger so decrease and quicker orbits are actually not often used. the area commute isn't designed to realize the severe altitude required for geo-synchronous orbit and for this reason has in no way been used for that objective. The gasoline required to realize that altitude is purely too super to make it functional for a vehicle that super. that is extra a count of being functional and on your budget than that could be a technical situation.
2016-10-17 23:35:35 · answer #2 · answered by cardish 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The shuttle wasn't actually in orbit yet - it kept its engines firing and so continued to climb out of Earth's atmosphere.
2006-09-25 14:13:05 · answer #3 · answered by kris 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋