3 ms·
To get a gentler reentry, you need a greater lift-to-drag ratio. To have a better hypersonic lift-to-drag ratio you need significantly more wing area, which is
by CarVac 2y ago
To get a gentler reentry, you need a greater lift-to-drag ratio.
To have a better hypersonic lift-to-drag ratio you need significantly more wing area, which is dead weight (and drag and a control problem) on the way up.
- avhon1 2y agoExactly! Re-entry is the transition from orbital dynamics to aerodynamics. If you want the transition from orbit to flight to occur at a lower speed, then you need to be able to produce lift equal to your weight at that speed, at the altitude where you will hit that speed.
- panick21_ 2y agoThat's one of the reason why space planes were preferred for so long. Bleeding of speed while skipping along the atmosphere and then coming in for landing.