Why launch spacecrafts vertically?

[md2000]

Yes, it's the secondary effects that require energy.

A ship launched vertically must not only get the kinetic energy of final velocity, it must also balance against the pull of gravity (i.e. energy required to hover) during vertical ascent. It must also overcome air resistance.

An aircraft launch, ie. taking off horizontally, means that forward motion, requiring less initial energy, can create the lift to balance gravity. However, it runs longer, so basically what horizontal lift does is expend about the same amount of energy, but spread over a longer time with weaker engines; possibly more because you are fighting air resistance for a longer time while going horizontally.

[Dana Scully]

Originally Posted by Duck Duck Goose

Rockets have to get free of Earth's gravity, fast, before they fall down again (rockets not being equipped with wings and engines like a jet), and the quickest way to do that, the shortest distance between two points being a straight line, is to go straight up.

Launching horizontally, so they'd cruise along like a jet plane, would require wings, and a different kind of engine in order to keep them "up".

So, you're basically asking, "Why don't we just equip a Boeing 747 to cruise along, going gradually higher and higher until it's in Earth orbit?'' And I dunno the answer to that, but I bet the Rocket & Ballistics Geeks do, and they'll be along any minute now, as soon as they've stocked up on Cheetos and rinsed out the pocket protectors...

Don't jet engines need air to work? There isn't any in space.

PS: My husband IS a rocket scientist and I make sure to clean his slide rule weekly

[Leo Bloom]

If he screams at you, pretend you're space, where they can't hear him.