Why is the first part of a Space Shuttle launch in a 'heads-down'(*) orientation? If it were rolled to a heads-up orientation, wouldn't that allow the wings to help reduce a bit of the gravity drag?
(*) You know, with the heads of the astronauts closer to the center of the earth than their feet. I initially called this 'upside down' because of the unusual orientation for an aircraft-like vehicle like the Space Shuttle, and for the astronauts themselves. This caused some (deliberate?) confusion further down in the thread.
(*) You know, with the heads of the astronauts closer to the center of the earth than their feet. I initially called this 'upside down' because of the unusual orientation for an aircraft-like vehicle like the Space Shuttle, and for the astronauts themselves. This caused some (deliberate?) confusion further down in the thread.
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