“I follow all kinds of information about space and the stars. My brother has only recently started paying attention to these issues, but has been reading some naysayer websites. Because of this, he says he has doubts about the ‘truth’ of the space shuttle, the flight to the moon and other missions, as some claim that they would be impossible because of the heated layers of atmosphere around the earth, which would destroy them–the Van Allen belts. I know that heat shields are used, and am assuming that the rarefied atmosphere might not conduct heat as well. But what is the real reason why these flights are possible and are not eliminated by the heat of the Van Allen belts or other layers?”
So there are two questions mixed up in here – the first is about traversing the atmosphere without burning up, and the second about traversing the Van Allen belts.
It’s true that re-entering the atmosphere from space is a delicate business, and there are only a few…
Read the full article on Forbes!
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