Why do we send spaceships away from Earth? and not "down" or "above" Earth?

Question

Like i know that there is no "up" or "down" in space...
but why do we always send ships out.. away past all of the other planets?

why not in a direction to go "down" or "above"?

Anyone else wonder this?
Anyone know the ANSWER to this??

Answer 1

Directions from Earth are relative because of our spinning and our orbit, and also because there is no gravity to tell if you are upside down or not. Even on earth, two people in opposite continents are both standing "up," but their feet are pointing towards each other.

However, position from earth isn't quite so relative. Since it's not getting closer, it's going... away.

Answer 2

Okay... we send ships "away" because they are leaving the Earth's orbit.

Think like a pepperoni pizza. Let's say the Earth is in the center. when we send a ship off, we dont go below or above the pizza! we send the ship straight across the pizza. each pepperoni is like a planet. the further we go the longer it takes.

But yes, you are right that "space" is 3D. But you must know that even though space is 3d, the planets revolve around the sun like a pizza. I hate to use the pizza comparison, but the solar system is like a floating pizza in space. all the planets are basically lined up on the same plane.

This is a very good question! I hope you take an astronomy class when you get to college!

Answer 3

Spacecraft follow a path out past the other planets for one simple reason, gravity.

For a spacecraft to get up enough speed to escape the solar system, they use the gravity of the planets, instead of fuel.

The craft is sent away from earth on a path that passes near another planet. That planets gravity pulls the ship faster towards it, giving it the speed to get to the next planet on its path. Then the process is repeated when it passes the next planet.

By using the planets in this way, we can send out smaller, cheaper spacecraft. We don't have to build huge engines and fuel cells to get the craft where it's going.

Answer 4

Sending a ship down into the earth would be a much greater task than sending it away from the earth.

Answer 5

I know what you are saying. The planets sort of form a disk around the sun, and why don't we ever travel in some other direction than in the plane of the planets' orbits? The nearest objects to our solar system are way too far away, so as we travel, we want to take the scenic route, I suppose.

Answer 6

because there is no 'down' or 'above'. There is only away, and even that is relative....

Part of the problem is we are always shown space maps that look like linear maps, but they are misleading. In fact we do go 'up' and 'down' in that sense. It is not possible to draw a map of the universe in any real sense of scale and direction, thus the seeming 'flatness' of it all.

Answer 7

some people say we send ship "up into the space", or "up towards the moon". They ,mean up relative to earth, of course.

Answer 8

i became busy attempting fix a busted device... as quickly as I appeared on the clock next, i could neglected the rattling experience. as properly, do no longer they ever ask your self how lots potential (by surge) human beings use in turning their lights and heavy units back on afterwards? It takes a solid concentration of potential to potential up a device, which makes the whole experience sort of pointless. And confident, I already knew concerning the thought of international warming.

Answer 9

hmmm... I guess the sky is always considered up even when the earth is upside down..but wait how can it be upside down?

Answer 10

cuz if we send it straight into the planet it will crash and burn. thats why we send it with just enough speed so gravity does it's work.