Home / Series / The Science of Flight / Aired Order / Season 1 / Episode 23

Atmospheric Reentry: Ballistic, Skip, Glide

Now return to Earth, analyzing the problem of decelerating from orbital or escape speed to a gentle touchdown on land or water. Calculate the amount of energy that must be lost during the plunge through the atmosphere, and consider three approaches to reentry, including that of the Space Shuttle, which unfortunately ended tragically for Columbia in 2003. Also look at the dire reentry scenario faced by Apollo 13 in 1970.

English
  • Created April 10, 2021 by
    Idaho121
  • Modified January 3, 2024 by
    eldoroonie