What type of aerodynamics does a spacecraft need to fly?

Answer 1

Aerodynamics is reletively a small piece of the puzzle when considering space flight. Its "Rocket Science". If you notice on NASA's space shuttle there are two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB)attached to the side of the Large Red Main Fuel tank. These SRB's are like the model rocket engine most of played with as a kid. The Main fuel tank supplies liquid fuel for the Orbiter's three main engines. What happens on lift-off is the SRB's and Orbiter engines propell the shuttle at a speed fast enough to overcome the pull of earths gravity. Once this speed is reached, no more Thrust is required to keep the orbiter in orbit. During the Initial phase of re-entry, the orbiter will turn around and use the last of its fuel to slow the Orbiter so that Earths Gravity can bring it back to earth. THIS IS WHERE AERODYNAMICS COMES INTO PLAY!! Once the orbiter enters Earths atmosphere, the friction of the atmosphere creats a tremendous amount of heat while it slows the Orbiters approach. Once the Orbiter is slowed sufficiently, the heat dissapates and the Orbiter, now under no engine power, is a mere Glider. The wings provide Lift just like a glider and enable the re-entering Orbiter to manuever using Aerlerons like a plane. The Orbiter then begins S-turns to further slow the spacecraft to a safe landing speed. You can see that aerodynamics plays a role in allowing the "boosted" shuttle to achieve the required speed and a role in the Orbiter returning to earth.

Answer 2

The qestion poses multiple answers depending upon the results you want.

1. How is th craft going to exit orbit? If like an aircraft or like a rocket. Either way Aerodynamics must meet the 4 basic principles, Drag, Thust, Gravity, lift in order to "fly".
2. How is the craft going to re-enter orbit? Remember the apollo missions? They re-entered bottom first... not ver aerodynamic... but met there planned results. Or do you re-enter like an aircraft (shuttle.. future space craft) then again it must meet the 4 basic prinicples, plus have some type of control surfaces for the landing portion.

Aerodynamics is a general term, and depending upon what you want the caft to do.. depends upon what design you create.

I hop this helps a little.

Answer 3

Spacecrafts like satellites are not aerodynamically designed, in fact their shapes are really not-aerodynamic, in fact outside atmosphere there is no air inducin drag (well, for low orbit satellites aerodynamic drag is considered as a disturb).
But spacecraft that passes through atmosphere(launchers shuttles and re-entry vehicles) are aerodinamically designed and since they travel Very fast (Apollo10 upon re-entry reached Mach 37.6, but you must consider the altitude effect).
One of the best(also NASA uses it) plasma hypersonic "windtunnel" is in the South of Italy, in CIRA research center, it can simulate re-entry conditions in large scale(diameter 2m, max temperature of 10000° K and Mach 12, it uses 70 MW).

Answer 4

in case you verify on the NASA sight you'll discover that astronauts require coaching nicely previous the "aeroplane" coaching that they received! operating and flying in area is a techniques diverse from flying interior the ambience! So no it isn't user-friendly to fly a spacecraft without extra coaching.

Answer 5

short sweet simple if ur going to space u just need a push to get it there but if ur doing in atmosphere flying then ya ur screwed

Answer 6

A really big rocket to get it into space, not much else.

Answer 7

None, once it is in space.