Could a plane go into space?

Planes can and have flown into space for over 50 years – though not the kind you see at the airport. The first plane to reach space was the X-15, designed in the mid-1950s for the US National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), forerunner of NASA.

Why do airplanes stop in mid air?

Why do planes stop in mid air? No a plane doesn’t stop in midair, planes need to keep moving forward to remain in the air (unless they are VTOL capable). What it can do is simply turn around or go over/under the obstruction. VTOL means vertical takeoff and landing.

Why is an airplane not able to fly in space?

Cars, trucks and SUVs all use air as part of their combustion process. If an airplane flies in space, it won’t be able to suck in fresh air with which to supply its engines, resulting in loss of propulsion. The bottom line is that airplanes can’t fly in space because there is no air in space.

How long does it take to fly an airplane into space?

To reach orbit that way, NASA needs some 520,000 gallons of rocket propellant and two strap-on rocket boosters to loft a 100-ton space shuttle and its cargo into space in just under nine minutes. Flying horizontal, you can imagine, would require much more conventional fuel than an aircraft — or a space shuttle — could carry.

Why was the first plane to go into space?

That’s because conventional planes need air for both propulsion and lift, and space is essentially a vacuum. The first plane to reach space was the X-15, designed in the mid-1950s for the US National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), forerunner of NASA.

How tall was the plane that went to space?

One special NASA plane, Helios, flew to about 19 miles. This is far higher than any other plane has gone. At that height, the air is about 100 times thinner than at sea level. The air gets thinner the higher you go. It gets so thin there’s hardly any air at all. This is called a vacuum. Image above: On August 13, 2001.

Why are there no planes that can fly to space?

The wing is pushed up by the air under it. Large planes can only fly as high as about 7.5 miles. The air is too thin above that height. It would not hold the plane up. Some kinds of planes can fly much higher. One special NASA plane, Helios, flew to about 19 miles. This is far higher than any other plane has gone.

Why are fighter jets not able to fly into space?

This is less than a fifth of the way to space. Part of the reason fighter jets can’t fly this high is their power source. Jet engines rely on air intake to function properly. Once you get above certain heights the air is too thin for jet engines to work efficiently so they end up shutting…

To reach orbit that way, NASA needs some 520,000 gallons of rocket propellant and two strap-on rocket boosters to loft a 100-ton space shuttle and its cargo into space in just under nine minutes. Flying horizontal, you can imagine, would require much more conventional fuel than an aircraft — or a space shuttle — could carry.

Why are airplanes able to fly in the air?

Airplanes can fly because of air. The air moving under their wings is strong enough to hold them up. An airplane wing is round on top. The bottom is flat. The plane’s engines push the wing forward. At the same time, air moves over and under the wing. The air going above the wing has to go a little farther than the air going below.