Spacecraft Questions
Space flight is fundamentally different than the flight of aircraft in many ways. This section includes questions
related to the science and technology that make both manned and unmanned space travel possible.
What do astronauts do on the space station?
How do space vehicles get to different planets? What kind of computers
or equipment guide them there?
I remember once hearing about a secret US Navy program to launch a
satellite around the same time the Soviets launched Sputnik. I think it was fired off an airplane. Do
you know anything about it?
Your site mentions a vehicle called Helios that reached 150,000 mph. What
is the Helios?
Doesn't the Pluto New Horizons spacecraft now own the fastest manmade
object record?
How long would it take Earth's fastest space ship to reach Proxima
Centauri? If one of the old Pioneer or Voyager probes was discovered, would it be so badly contaminated by
radiation that it could not be safely recovered for analysis?
What was the worst disaster in the history of space travel?
There was a manned spaceflight that was struck by lightning. Was there
any noticeable degadation in the performance of the capsule?
Why did the Russian attempt to launch a man to the Moon crash? I heard
the N1 rocket carrying it crashed on the lunar surface minutes before Apollo 11 landed.
What makes "Enterprise" different from the other orbiters?
Why does the Space Shuttle rotate right after takeoff? Is it for crew
comfort?
You state that the Space Shuttle climbs to 35000 feet in one minute, but
other sites, discussing the SRBs, suggest they are ejected two minutes out at 3.62 miles or 19000 feet.
How fast and how far is the Shuttle when the SRBs are ejected?
What kinds of abort options are there during a Space Shuttle launch?
How do they work? Is it true that the Shuttle can make an emergency landing in Spain?
Why is the External Tank of the Space Shuttle covered in foam? Couldn't
it just be left off to eliminate the danger of it falling off? The tank used to be painted white ... could
the paint help stop foam from coming off the tank? Why doesn't NASA embed some kind of strong mesh netting
into the foam when it is applied so that if a piece does separate, it doesn't fall off? Since foam keeps
falling off the tank, why not install a disposable debris shield over vulnerable surfaces to protect them
from impact damage?
How does NASA plan to replace the Space Shuttle now that the X-33 has
been cancelled?
It is documented fact that the booster rockets used on the Space
Shuttle are one of the greatest contributors to destroying the ozone layer. Why then is NASA still using
these boosters in its new rocket? Why not create a more environmental propulsion system?
... could the Space Shuttle go to the Moon, land a lander from its cargo
bay, make lunar orbits, and then return to Earth after gathering the cargo?
... If a rescue was necessary, could the Space Shuttle launch and rendezvous
with the International Space Station within one orbit?
Is it true that Russia built a copy of the space shuttle? Was it
actually turned into a piece of playground equipment?! Why doesn't NASA use it to replace the Columbia?
Is it true that someone discovered a Russian space shuttle in the Middle
East? How did it get there?
What has become of the HOTOL re-usable rocket concept?
I have noticed that Mars rovers usually have a life expectancy of
three months but operate much longer. Since they are solar powered, what factors of the environment cause
these machines to fail?
I heard once that it's better to launch rockets into orbit closer to the
equator. Can you explain why?
If you wanted to orbit opposite the spin of the Earth, east to west, what
speed would be needed for orbit launching from the Cape in Florida?
... Why do you say that launches into polar orbit are to the west instead
of to the east like other launches?
Why is orbit speed between 17,000 and 18,000 mph? What determines
this?
Why is the path of an orbiting space vehicle, like the Space Shuttle,
in the shape of a sine wave crossing north and south of the equator when superimposed on a map of the
Earth?
Is it true that a spacecraft re-entering the atmosphere at too steep an
angle will burn up, or is it just an old myth?
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