B When does the perspective from the cockpit of a spaceship change?

Thread starter musicgold
Start date Jan 10, 2021
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Change Perspective Spaceship

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The discussion centers on the transition in a spaceship pilot's perspective from approaching Earth as a spherical object to landing on a flat surface. Initially, pilots perceive they are heading towards a "giant ball," but as they descend, their orientation changes to align with the surface for landing. The conversation highlights the importance of utilizing gravity and atmospheric braking techniques for a safe landing, contrasting cinematic portrayals with real physics. Participants emphasize that the pilot's perception shifts psychologically as they approach the surface, feeling as if they are descending vertically rather than colliding with a sphere. Ultimately, understanding this perspective change is crucial for accurately depicting spacecraft landing scenarios.

Jan 13, 2021

sophiecentaur

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DrStupid said:

But it still couldn't fly for hours.

Right. It seems that something like the shuttle design will have too little lift to keep it up for long but, once it slows up a bit it will fly as a dumpy glider. What you said about the braking effect on the ship is making sense to me. It can only 'fly' a bit better than a capsule during the hypersonic phase.
This has been very interesting, thanks.