Getting a spacecraft to orbit is no small feat. This complex process requires extensive knowledge, precise engineering, and significant resources, hence many aerospace companies still struggle to achieve this goal. Virgin Galactic provides a compelling example. This company has faced several setbacks in their quest to develop a reliable, reusable spaceplane. One of their most tragic incidents occurred in 2014 during a test flight. The vehicle broke apart mid-air, causing the death of one pilot and severely injuring another.
Another case worth noting is Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Designed to transport astronauts to the International Space Station, the Starliner encountered problems during its first uncrewed test flight in December 2019. An onboard timing error resulted in the spacecraft burning too much fuel, preventing it from reaching the international space station as planned. The Starliner had to return to Earth without completing its mission, marking a significant setback for Boeing.
But, When it comes to SpaceX, they have successfully launched hundreds of vehicles into orbit, accumulating invaluable experience along the way. However, the company’s latest ambition of launching Starship into orbit is presenting new challenges.
When we talk about ‘reaching space’ and ‘getting to orbit’, we mean two different things. There’s a line, called the Karman line, about 100 kilometers up from the ground. When a spaceship gets to this line, we say it’s in space. If it goes up to space and then comes back down without circling the Earth, we call this a ‘suborbital flight.
But to get into ‘orbit’, which means to go around the Earth, the spaceship has to go even higher, above 200 kilometers. Once there, it has to go super fast, at least 28,000 kilometers per hour, to keep circling the Earth without falling back down. This is called ‘being in orbit’.
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