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Old November 2nd 03, 12:56 PM
Mxsmanic
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Stan J. Lefosi writes:

will you enter earth´s orbit?


You are in orbit at any time you are in free fall, so even if you jump
off a curb, you're in orbit until you hit the ground.

If you mean a stable orbit that decays only very slowly, you need to get
above the atmosphere to achieve that. This implies that you need a
spacecraft rather than an aircraft. Aircraft require air for their
engines, and for the aerodynamic phenomena that provide lift to keep
them suspended in the air. Beyond a certain altitude (usually from
30,000-90,000 feet, depending on the aircraft), there isn't enough air
to maintain lift and/or power the engines, and so you can't go any
higher than that, which prevents you from reaching a stable orbit (you
can still go into orbit at lower altitudes, but friction from the air
will cause your orbit to decay almost immediately).

To get clear of the atmosphere, you need something with a power source
that is independent of any need for air, such as a rocket, and you need
a power source that can provide all the necessary lift on its own,
without relying on any aerodynamic phenomenon.

Normally, then, if you fly towards space in an _aircraft_ (not a
spacecraft), eventually you'll run out of power or air, and you'll fall
back towards Earth. You may or may not be able to regain controlled of
the aircraft and resume normal powered flight after you've returned to a
lower altitude. It's tricky because at high altitudes you have
virtually no control over how an aircraft behaves (none of the control
surfaces really work), and you may go spinning uncontrollably back
towards the ground. In the right kind of aircraft with a competent
pilot, though, it is possible to regain control and return safely.

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