Why space shuttles take off only vertically?

The reason vertical take off was used is because you use less fuel that way and minimise the weight of the vehicle for a given mass on orbit. of the take off weight is propellant. 1\% is structure for the engines that pull 1.5 g at take off.

Could the space shuttle take off like a plane?

It absolutely can not take off like a normal plane. It would require LARGE engines to do that. It does have a fuel tank for the reentry rockets and maneuvering jets. However, those do not provide anything close to takeoff speeds.

Why do space shuttles and airplanes differ in design?

A: Aircraft fly through air and spacecraft fly in space. In space, there is no air, so a spacecraft cannot be designed the same as an aircraft. There won’t be drag or lift, so planes cannot fly. Also, spacecraft have to carry their own air along in the form of oxidizer, since there is no air to make the engines work.

Why do rockets fly horizontal?

Rockets have to tilt to the side as they travel into the sky in order to reach orbit, or a circular path of motion around the Earth. This steering technique is known as a gravity turn, which uses Earth’s gravity to help conserve rocket fuel and minimize stress and strain on the spacecraft.

How was the space shuttle similar to and different from an airplane?

It has many of the same parts as an airplane except for its engine configurations. The orbiter has wings that create lift. It uses a double-delta wing configuration to achieve the most efficient flight during hypersonic speed as well as providing a good lift -to-drag ratio during landing.

What is the difference between spacecraft and space shuttle?

A spacecraft is something designed to fly in space, and can be manned or unmanned. A space shuttle is an American manned spacecraft designed to support human crews of seven for up to 30 days.

Why do space shuttles use large tanks for launch?

That’s the reason why space shuttle launches use large external hydrogen tanks and fuel boosters, as they want to achieve a huge amount of speed in a matter of seconds Of course, you can also escape the atmosphere at a lower speed and take more time during your vertical ascent, but that would require a lot of fuel – an incredible amount, in fact.

Why do Space Shuttle pilots fly at such high speeds?

There are a few reasons behind it, primarily that an airplane does not go any faster than 500-600 mph. As a pilot of a space shuttle though, you want to get out of the atmosphere as soon as practically possible, and for that, you need a very high velocity.

Why do space shuttles have stubby wings?

The stubby wings of the space shuttle are not meant to make it fly like an airplane. Furthermore, the stubby wings of a space shuttle are not designed to make it lift like an airplane. Instead, they are there for a number of other functions, including facilitating a controlled approach during re-entry and so on.

How much does a Space Shuttle weigh?

For instance, a space shuttle already weighs more than 2.04 million kilograms (4.5 million pounds) at the time of launch; so, how much more fuel would you be able to add to its weight without significantly raising the launch’s cost? Furthermore, the stubby wings of a space shuttle are not designed to make it lift like an airplane.