How does a rocket land?

Question

If it flys vertically how does it come back down? it can land on it's nose and it doesn't have wheels like a plane so how exactly does it fly back down and land?

Answer 1

Depends on what type of rocket... space program rockets will use a body of water and a parachute... Bush rockets land nose first into foreign buildings

Answer 2

!!!!!! BOOOOOM !!!!!!

Answer 3

They don't fly vertically.  They are supposed to go to some objective and usually that is their purpose.

Answer 4

Quickly.

Answer 5

the rocket itself does not land, what actually gets into the space station and comes down to land is the shuttle that was attached to the rocket. and the shuttle lands like a normal plane(for the most part). the rocket itself is there to produce the lift and launch the shuttle itself into space. as for the rocket, well once its part is done it falls apart and either burns up in the atmosphere

or falls back on earth, only the shuttle attached to the rocket goes into space and comes back down

Answer 6

usually with a bump

Answer 7

The only rocket I'm familiar with, intended for horizontal flight is the X-15.  It's launched from a B-52.  Upon completion of it's mission it jettisons it's lower fin and lands on skids.  If you go here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Ameri... scroll down to external links and you can find many pictures of the X-15 in flight, landing and a few incidents.

There have been many other rocket planes dating back to the 40's.  Some have normal take off.  There is a comprehensive list here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_roc...

Other rockets are dependent on the mission and expendability.  If it's to be reused it will descend by parachute.  otherwise it is destroyed on impact.

Answer 8

Veeeery carefully :@)

Answer 9

rockets dont land they crash :)

Answer 10

The first stage usually splashes down in the ocean, the second stage does as well, or becomes space debris, and the capsule splashes down in the ocean when it returns to earth.

Answer 11

The old style rockets, such as the Apollo rockets used to reach the moon, had only the top part of the rocket with any humans in, all the rest was engines and fuel. On re-entry to the Earth, the top part separates from everything else, and lands in the ocean, aided with parachutes to slow its fall. The astronauts are then recovered by helicopter or boat.

The Space Shuttle works differently. The shuttle lands on a runway, just like any other plane, except that it has parachutes to slow it down as well. This allows it to be re-used over and over again, just by attaching a new fuel tanks and boosters each time for launch.

Answer 12

it has to come down vertically and tail first, gradually reducing thrust to allow gravity to have its wicked way, but not too fast or it would dent the tail fins