Why does the space shuttle go so fast on reentry?

The reason for the fast speed is to counteract gravity pulling things back to Earth. When the shuttle or any other object is put into space the moment the rocket engines are shut down the shuttle or any object starts falling back to Earth at 33 feet per second per second due to gravity.

How fast does a space shuttle go on reentry?

As the shuttle gets lower, it eventually begins to plow through the Earth’s atmosphere at initial speed of about 17,000 miles per hour! During re-entry, the shuttle is going so fast, it compresses the air ahead of it.

How long does Orbital Reentry take?

The general rule-of-thumb is that natural meteor reentries happen quickly and typically last less than a few seconds while human-made reentries happen slowly, and typically can last 20 – 90 seconds or more.

How does space shuttle slow down?

For starters, the air in the atmosphere acts like a buffer and creates drag, slowing the spacecraft down. The shuttle will then do very special ‘S turn’ maneuvers to slow itself down. Finally, to finish off the landing, a Space Shuttle uses brakes and parachute to increase the drag and help slow the massive vehicle.

How fast do space shuttles travel?

After the solid rockets are jettisoned, the main engines provide thrust which accelerates the Shuttle from 4,828 kilometers per hour (3,000 mph) to over 27,358 kilometers per hour (17,000 mph) in just six minutes to reach orbit.

How does a Space Shuttle get to orbit the Earth?

To reach the minimum altitude required to orbit the Earth, the space shuttle must accelerate from zero to 8,000 meters per second (almost 18,000 miles per hour) in eight and a half minutes. It takes a very unique vehicle to accomplish this. There are three main components of the space shuttle that enable the launch into orbit.

Why didn’t the Space Shuttle slow down when it entered the atmosphere?

The short answer is that when the shuttle entered the atmosphere, it was moving at high velocity and going against atmospheric friction, the same as any object falling from space. If it had no means of slowing down, it would literally burn up and disintegrate in the atmosphere.

How many pounds of thrust does a space shuttle produce?

They create a combined maximum thrust of more than 1.2 million pounds. As the Shuttle accelerates, the main engines burn a half-million gallons of liquid propellant provided by the large, orange external fuel tank.