Why can't space rockets launch like airplanes?

 

  Space rockets cannot launch like airplanes,primarily because of the significant differences in atmospheric flight conditions and the requirements of spaceflight. Some of these main reasons are given below. But research is being done successfully to overcome these challenges and launch spacecraft like airplanes. So this concept will be successful in near future.

1. Atmospheric Conditions: 

 Airplanes rely on the Earth's atmosphere for lift and propulsion. Wings generate lift by creating a pressure difference between the upper and lower surfaces, allowing planes to stay airborne. Rockets, on the other hand, operate in a vacuum once they leave the atmosphere, where there is no air to generate lift or thrust.

 

2. Speed and Altitude: 

 Airplanes typically fly at much lower speeds and altitudes compared to rockets. Commercial airplanes typically cruise at altitudes of around 30,000 to 40,000 feet (9,000 to 12,000 meters) and travel at speeds of around 500 to 600 mph (800 to 965 km/h). Rockets, on the other hand, need to reach speeds exceeding 17,500 mph (28,000 km/h) to achieve orbital velocity.

3. Fuel Requirements: 

 Rockets need a significant amount of fuel to overcome the Earth's gravitational pull and reach the required speed for space travel. This requires a high-energy propulsion system, such as rocket engines that use liquid or solid propellants. Airplanes, in contrast, use engines that primarily rely on the combustion of jet fuel, which is much less powerful than the propellants used in rockets.

4. Structural Design: 

 Rockets are designed to withstand the extreme forces experienced during launch, including intense vibrations, acceleration, and high temperatures. The structural design of rockets is optimized to handle these conditions, making them much stronger and heavier compared to airplanes. The weight of the rocket and its fuel necessitate vertical launch systems and stages that are discarded during flight.

5. Orbital Mechanics: 

 Achieving orbit requires precise calculations and specific trajectories. Rockets are launched vertically to quickly escape the denser parts of the atmosphere, and then they perform complex maneuvers to achieve the desired orbit around the Earth or reach other celestial bodies. Airplanes, on the other hand, follow relatively simple flight paths within the Earth's atmosphere.

 

 While there have been concepts and experiments for reusable space vehicles that take off like airplanes and land vertically, such as the Space Shuttle, these designs still have significant differences from conventional aircraft and face various engineering engineering.

 As said in the beginning, research is being done successfully to overcome these challenges and launch spacecraft like airplanes and therefore this concept will be successful in the near future.