2007-02-17 03:06:41 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
No, but for several reasons...
Ignoring that the aircraft wouldn't withstand the vibration and lack of atmosphere of the journey.
The engines burn fuel, but need air to burn it. The Earth's atmosphere gets thinner and thinner , so eventually the engines loose so much power, that they just cannot get the aircraft any higher. All planes have a "ceiling", that is the maximum height they can get up to with their engines and their wings.
The reason an aircraft flies, is that the wings compress the air under them. that compressed air actually holds the aircraft up. With the Earth's atmosphere getting thinner as you get higher, eventually thew wings do not give enough lift anymore, this is another reason aircraft have "ceilings" they cannot fly any higher than.
Aviation fuel does not contain enough energy in it to get the plane (with the weight of the fuel itself as well of course) to a fast enough speed to escape the Earth's gravity.
Getting to space is not just about power, you need to actually be traveling fast enough to do it. It is a frightening speed of something like 7 MILES A SECOND! Anything less than this and no matter how much power you have, you will never escape Earth.
I hope this helps?!
2007-02-17 03:45:14 · answer #1 · answered by TK_M 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
True, jet engines by definition need to intake air, including oxygen to combust. That aside -- a couple comments above show a serious misconception about ESCAPE VELOCITY.
The issue of escape velocity does NOT apply to any kind of vehicle with an engine continuously providing thrust, such as a jet. It ONLY applies to something flying ballistically, unpowered -- like a cannonball, or a rocket AFTER it's engines have turned off.
Use some common sense. Are you able to climb a ladder? Stairs? Yes. Are you traveling thousands of miles an hour when you do that? No. If you had a ladder tall enough, you could climb straight up to the moon and hop off onto it. You do not need to be going 17000 mph -- you just need your leg muscles to keep pushing you up, step by step by step.
2007-02-17 06:41:43 · answer #2 · answered by KevinStud99 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's an interesting question. But, no you couldn't. A jet can't withstand outer space. It would never make it. They have to build space ships with special materials so that it can withtand space. You'd probably never even leave the exosphere let alone get to the moon.
2007-02-17 03:12:37 · answer #3 · answered by Dana Mulder 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sure. You would need to depressurize the jet as you leave the atmosphere or the jet would explode. You would need to modify your engines to burn solid fuel, but otherwise, aside from the problem of slowing yourself down during landing, you should be able to do it.
2007-02-17 03:11:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
no ofcourse not
the propulsion provided by jet is not enough to overcome escape velocity more over for a jet u need atmospheric air for combustion
2007-02-17 03:15:28 · answer #5 · answered by ceacrops 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
jet engines need air. There is no air in space.
Check out this web site and see for your self.
2007-02-17 03:14:42 · answer #6 · answered by eric l 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No.
Regular jets are not airtight enough to withstand the vacuum of space and require oxygen to burn their fuel.
2007-02-17 03:10:23 · answer #7 · answered by searchpup 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No. A jet works by compressing air, and cannot work in a vacuum.
2007-02-17 03:23:54 · answer #8 · answered by mustafa 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋