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When the shuttle goes from the vacuum of space and enters the earths atmosphere, it heats up because of simple friction. The friction is from the shuttle going so fast and hitting the atmosphere. Same reason you sometimes see meteor showers.

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Q: Why do space shuttles heat up when they re-enter into the earths atmosphere?
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Related questions

What takes in water?

Space shuttles, space rockets and also the atmosphere


Do satellite ever stop in space?

No, they do not stop until they reenter the earth's atmosphere.


Which atmospheric layer is where space shuttles orbit?

The atmosphere is divided in to five layers. These are Troposhere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere and Exosphere. The space shuttles orbit in thermosphere.The atmosphere is divided in to five layers. These are Troposhere, Stratospere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere and Exosphere. The space shuttles orbit in thermosphere.


What happens when a space shuttle reenter the atmosphere?

It heats up a lot and becomes vey hot.


Space shuttles travel in what layer of the atmosphere?

Space shuttles travel in the thermosphere, which is the second highest layer of the Earth's atmosphere. This layer extends from about 80 km to 550 km above the Earth's surface and is where the International Space Station orbits.


What makes space shuttles different from other spacecraft's?

What makes the space shuttles different than other space craft is that they are reusable. Most spacecraft are used one time, then disposed of. The Russian Soyuz and the American Apollo spacecraft are examples of this. Another difference is the way they return to Earth. After other spacecraft reenter Earth's atmosphere, they deploy parachutes and make water landings (US Apollo), or land in snow (Russian Soyuz). The space shuttle lands like an airplane.


Do space shuttles land on the moon?

No, space shuttles do not land on the moon. Space shuttles are designed to be launched from Earth and re-enter the Earth's atmosphere for landing, not for landing on the moon. The Apollo missions were the only ones to have landed astronauts on the moon.


What layer of the atmosphere are space shuttles located?

Space shuttles typically operate in the thermosphere layer of the atmosphere, which extends from about 80 kilometers (50 miles) above the Earth's surface to between 550-1000 kilometers (340-620 miles) high. At these altitudes, the air is extremely thin, allowing the shuttles to operate efficiently in the near-vacuum conditions of space.


How far can a space shuttles speedometer go to?

answer:it can go upto exosphere.Exosphere is the layer of a atmosphere.


How fast does a space shuttle reenter the earths atmosphere?

A space shuttle reenters the Earth's atmosphere at a speed of around 17,500 miles per hour. The high speed generates intense heat, which is why the shuttle needs heat shields to protect it during reentry. The spacecraft gradually slows down as it descends through the atmosphere.


How many space shuttles have flown to space?

6 TotalChallenger, Columbia,Discovery, Atlantis, Endeavour, and Buran (Soviet reusable spacecraft) There have been six Space Shuttles. Five have flown in space. The first, Enterprise, flew only in Earth's atmosphere.


How high in the earths atmosphere does a space shuttle travel?

230 miles out into space