Not that facts will matter here but here they are anyways.
The external fuel tank is out of fuel about 9 minutes into the launch and at approximately 70 miles high in a near orbital velocity. So logic tells us it's going near as fast as the shuttle is once the shuttle separates from it the tank is going to follow the trajectory of the shuttle but will slowly fall back to earth for it had not reached orbital height or velocity. But if you see the video here you see it is at quite high velocity as the clouds below it gives a good speed reference. It's not going to fall back to earth like a rock. It's going to break up in a predicted path as it falls back through the atmosphere.
It is the only part of the shuttle program to not be reused.
But again I do not expect me post here to chance some minds.
2 Comments
Gordon_Shumway
- 3 years ago
Not that facts will matter here but here they are anyways. The external fuel tank is out of fuel about 9 minutes into the launch and at approximately 70 miles high in a near orbital velocity. So logic tells us it's going near as fast as the shuttle is once the shuttle separates from it the tank is going to follow the trajectory of the shuttle but will slowly fall back to earth for it had not reached orbital height or velocity. But if you see the video here you see it is at quite high velocity as the clouds below it gives a good speed reference. It's not going to fall back to earth like a rock. It's going to break up in a predicted path as it falls back through the atmosphere. It is the only part of the shuttle program to not be reused. But again I do not expect me post here to chance some minds.
The World Is Not Enough
- 3 years ago
BUT BUT...my SCIENCE BoooooooohooOOKS. Camera tricks, nothing more!