Why is so much heat generated upon space shuttle re-entry?

During re-entry, the shuttle is going so fast, it compresses the air ahead of it. The compression of the air layers near the leading edges of the shuttle is quick, causing the temperature of the air to rise to as high as 3000 degrees Fahrenheit! Being in contact with the shuttle, it heats the shuttle’s surface.

Why can’t spaceships take off like planes?

The simple answer is 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 so as to escape the Earth’s gravitational pull.

What does a Soyuz do in space?

The Soyuz takes cosmonauts and astronauts to and from the space station. A Soyuz has room for three people to ride in it. The spacecraft also brings food and water to the space station. The Soyuz is like a lifeboat. At least one Soyuz is always attached to the space station.

How will Soyuz fare in the future?

How Soyuz will fare in such a future, it is hard to predict. It is incredibly reliable and quite sufficient for current needs to supply the International Space Station. New US spacecraft may undercut the Soyuz costs but as yet none has flown.

How long does it take to land a Soyuz?

The Soyuz uses parachutes to slow down even more. When the Soyuz gets close to the ground, it fires small rocket engines to slow down more. Even then, the landing is bumpy. The Soyuz lands in the grassy plains of Kazahkstan. After leaving the space station, the Soyuz takes only 3 1/2 hours to land!

What happened to Soyuz 11?

Soyuz became the workhorse for those missions though it suffered one more tragic failure when the three crew members on board Soyuz 11 – Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov and Viktor Patsayev – were killed in 1971 when their capsule depressurised abruptly as they prepared to re-enter the atmosphere.