15. To travel into orbit, will we have a rocket-powered or an aircraft-assisted launch? (A K2S Question)

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We will probably need a rocket-powered launch. Rocket motors contain the oxidizer—that is, the oxygen source needed for combustion— whereas aircraft engines take the oxygen from the atmosphere. The amount of oxygen in the atmosphere diminishes greatly during the first ten miles of ascent. We are going to orbit at 230 miles where there is no oxygen.

Answer provided by Lt. Col. USAF (Ret.) William G. Gregory


Image:K2S logosmall.jpg Question and Answer extracted from the book Kids to Space - by Lonnie Schorer


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