Table of Contents
- 1 Are Apollo rockets still in orbit?
- 2 What is the significance of the Saturn V rocket to the Apollo space program?
- 3 How much fuel does it take to get to the Moon?
- 4 What happens during the flight of a rocket to orbit?
- 5 How can I reduce the re-entry speed of a spacecraft?
- 6 How can we lower a spacecraft slowly through the atmosphere?
Are Apollo rockets still in orbit?
The S-IVB stages from the Saturn Vs that launched Apollo 10, the second mission that flew to the moon in May of 1969, and Apollo 11, the first lunar landing two months later in July, also ended up in a heliocentric orbit. Apollo 12’s, as we now know, is currently orbiting the Earth.
What is the significance of the Saturn V rocket to the Apollo space program?
Saturn V was an American human-rated super heavy-lift launch vehicle used by NASA between 1967 and 1973. A three-stage, liquid-fueled rocket, the Saturn V was developed under the Apollo program for human exploration of the Moon and was later used to launch Skylab, the first American space station.
How much fuel does it take to get to the Moon?
Originally Answered: How much fuel is needed to reach the Moon? equals: 5,987,968 pounds of propellant.
Where are the Apollo rockets now?
The Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia is on display in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC..
What happens to the rocket after leaving the launch pad?
Leaving the pad, the rocket begins a powered vertical ascent . The vehicle accelerates because of the high thrust and decreasing weight and rather quickly moves out of the thick atmosphere near the surface of the earth.
What happens during the flight of a rocket to orbit?
The rocket gets out of the atmosphere as quickly as possible, then gains the velocity needed to remain in orbit. On this slide we show the major events in the flight of a two stage launch to orbit. Throughout the flight, the weight of the rocket is constantly changing because of the burning of the propellants.
How can I reduce the re-entry speed of a spacecraft?
So, you can reduce your re-entry speed by orbiting in the same direction that the Earth spins. However, that only helps a bit. Your spacecraft still has to travel at 16,500 mph relative to our atmosphere to stay in orbit.
How can we lower a spacecraft slowly through the atmosphere?
We could lower a spacecraft slowly through our atmosphere with a space elevator. This is basically a giant lift, with the top a long way above our atmosphere, extending beyond geostationary orbit, and usually reaching to the ground at the equator. It is held in place, and tensioned, by a counterweight above geostationary orbit.