Why are astronauts seated horizontally on space shuttles during takeoff?

Why are astronauts seated horizontally on space shuttles during takeoff?

This is the optimal position for huge accelerations: being push to the back. During the landing, the position were the same, but now the space was horizontal, so like the seat of an aircraft, looking forward.

Why are astronauts seated horizontally?

If you are sitting upright then your spine in susceptible to being crushed. Sitting horizontally eliminates this problem. As other have pointed out, the body can sustain much higher G loads when places horizontally due to the increased surface area for the force to be dispersed through.

Why do space shuttles go sideways?

Rockets have to tilt to the side as they travel into the sky in order to reach orbit, or a circular path of motion around the Earth. This steering technique is known as a gravity turn, which uses Earth’s gravity to help conserve rocket fuel and minimize stress and strain on the spacecraft.

Why space shuttles take off only vertically?

The reason vertical take off was used is because you use less fuel that way and minimise the weight of the vehicle for a given mass on orbit. of the take off weight is propellant. 1% is structure for the engines that pull 1.5 g at take off.

Why do astronauts launch on their backs?

This is simply because there is nothing pushing you back into your seat anymore. Everything floats, including you. In the space shuttle, astronauts are strapped in on their backs a few hours before launch. As the main engines light, the whole vehicle rumbles and strains to lift off the launch pad.

How do astronauts get into the cockpit?

The pilot and commander have to enter the door and physically climb up to their seats using the temporary platfoms. The mission specialists are more or less at the level of the door, so their climb into their seats is more or less a horizontal translation from the door into their chairs.

Why are astronauts seated perpendicular to acceleration?

To ensure that acceleration effects have a minimal influence on body function, astronauts sit with their backs perpendicular to the direction of the accelerating force, so the G force acts across the chest from front to back.

Why do rockets go straight up?

Rockets don’t have wings, so all their lift must be provided by the thrust from their engines. Instead, it just has a very powerful engine expelling lots of gas, which does the lifting. Hence, a rocket does not need to speed along horizontally to get airborne, it just goes vertically up.

Why do rockets not launch horizontally?

Because the drag from the atmosphere increases by the velocity squared, which costs a lot of fuel when flying as fast as a rocket does. Normal rockets first fly up to get out of the dense lower atmosphere as quickly as possible and then slowly turn sideways.