2007-01-01 12:13:41 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
My friend told me that if the shuttle doesn't gain enough speed it bounce (lol) off of the earth's atmosphere.
2007-01-01 12:54:54 · update #1
Gain speed!?? It's one of the most unstoppable things ever made by man, why without an atmosphere there..
You might be thinking of the Apollo missions, if they came in too shallow they'd skip off the atmosphere and never return, and the astronauts would starve to death or run out of water. When they entered the atmosphere they were travelling fast enough to escape the earth.
Too steep and they'd burn up.
2007-01-02 22:32:21 · answer #1 · answered by anonymous 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no need for the space shuttle to gain speed, instead it needs to prevent too much speed because once it enters the atmosphere, the gravity will automatically pull the shuttle towards it.
The gravity is so great that the shuttle needs to prevent it from crashing on earth. They do so by travelling around the earth and gradually landing, so no harm would be done to the shuttle.
2007-01-01 12:37:28 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the space shuttle does not need to gain speed to reenter the earth's atmosphere, it loses about 200-300 mph so it can drop into the atmosphere, however, on launch, if the shuttle does not gain enough speed by the time of Main Engine Cut-off, then it will fall back to earth and be destroyed
2007-01-01 13:53:33 · answer #3 · answered by mcdonaldcj 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it goes too fast it will burn on re-entry. If it doesn't gain enough speed it will just take longer and glide in slowly. That would be a nice trip. The atmosphere is not a barrier you need to break through, it is a series of different stages you pass through.
2007-01-01 12:37:40 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the shuttle doesnt need to gain speed. when it reenters the earths atmosphere, it needs to lose speed so it can land on a runway safely. if it is too fast, it will crash.
2007-01-01 12:26:48 · answer #5 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
before everything, the gap Shuttles have all been retired, so as that they are actually not area of the story any further. The Hubble area Telescope is in an excellent orbit, so is basically in unfastened fall, with the forces of gravity and inertia balancing one yet another out.
2016-12-15 13:19:43 · answer #6 · answered by briana 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gravity will speed it up in any case.
2007-01-01 12:29:10 · answer #7 · answered by darth_maul_8065 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would fall short of its landing zone.
2007-01-01 13:57:10 · answer #8 · answered by aorton27 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It will burn.
2007-01-01 12:52:54 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋