# Why can't the space shuttle take off in the rain? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 6, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070 "2011-07-06T18:41:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/1 "2011-07-06T18:41:37Z")
Are they worried about lightning strikes? Would a lightning strike even matter? It’s just a little water! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/2 "2011-07-06T18:43:47Z")
Just as the roads get slippery, so does the air. No traction. Also, no windshield wipers. ETA:reported for possible forum change. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/3 "2011-07-06T18:47:23Z")
Moving thread from MPSIMS to General Questions. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/4 "2011-07-06T18:47:50Z")
[linky](http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/webcasts/shuttle/sts111/shuttle_qa.html) > [@NASA](#): > > I can understand why you would ask that question. The shuttle cannot fly in the rain because those tiny little water droplets of rain when they hit a tile and the shuttle is traveling at say 300, 400, Mach 2, at those kinds of speeds, it acts almost like a bullet hitting that tile. The tiles are very brittle and fragile on their outside, so they can’t stand to hit raindrops going at high speeds. So I can understand why you’d be confused about this very high-tech thing that can’t do something as simple as fly through the rain. But that’s why we can’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/5 "2011-07-06T18:48:18Z")
Because it’s a waste of money. OOps, that was a hijack. Take this shuttle to Iran! ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/6 "2011-07-06T19:03:47Z")
Oooo, thanks for that link! I learned something today! Seventeen thousand miles per hour. Wowser. ---
**Author:** ![davekhps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@davekhps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davekhps)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/7 "2011-07-06T19:06:51Z")
The Shuttle can’t fly in the rain, but it _could_ land on the Sun. But only at night. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/8 "2011-07-06T19:17:44Z")
> [@davekhps](#): > > The Shuttle can’t fly in the rain, but it _could_ land on the Sun. > > But only at night. Don’t be ridiculous. If it was night they couldn’t see where they were going. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/9 "2011-07-06T19:27:15Z")
> [@davekhps](#): > > The Shuttle can’t fly in the rain, but it _could_ land on the Sun. > > But only at night. Don’t be ridiculous. You can land on the sun during the day. You just have to aim for a sunspot. ---
**Author:** ![UncleFred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f0a364/32.png) [@UncleFred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleFred)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/10 "2011-07-06T20:49:25Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > Are they worried about lightning strikes? Would a lightning strike even matter? > > It’s just a little water! IIRC On one of the Apollo missions the capsule was struck by lightning on liftoff. I believe one of the crew said something like “Every alarm went off. It was like they threw all the training exercises at us at once.” ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/11 "2011-07-06T21:00:04Z")
> [@UncleFred](#): > > IIRC On one of the Apollo missions the capsule was struck by lightning on liftoff. I believe one of the crew said something like “Every alarm went off. It was like they threw all the training exercises at us at once.” That was Apollo 12. [Great scene](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMYNy3JsHTE) from _From the Earth to the Moon_. ---
**Author:** ![PuddingCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b4bc9f/32.png) [@PuddingCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PuddingCat)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/12 "2011-07-06T21:01:04Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Just as the roads get slippery, so does the air. No traction. Unless this was a (successful) whoosh, could you explain this a bit more? The Shuttle obtains altitude through Newton’s laws and a set of very big rockets… ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/13 "2011-07-06T21:08:51Z")
> [@](#): > > The Shuttle can’t fly in the rain, but it _could_ land on the Sun. > > But only at night. Yes, I know that’s a joke, but as an aside, the Sun is literally the hardest destination in the Universe to reach. It would take more energy to send something to the Sun than it would to send it to another star (of course, the other star would still take a lot longer). ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/14 "2011-07-06T21:36:51Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Because it’s a waste of money. OOps, that was a hijack. > > Take this shuttle to Iran! [moderating] Yes, it was. And inappropriate for GQ, too. [/moderating] ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/15 "2011-07-06T21:54:08Z")
> [@PuddingCat](#): > > Unless this was a (successful) whoosh, could you explain this a bit more? The Shuttle obtains altitude through Newton’s laws and a set of very big rockets… Whoosh galore. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/16 "2011-07-06T21:58:45Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Yes, I know that’s a joke, but as an aside, the Sun is literally the hardest destination in the Universe to reach. It would take more energy to send something to the Sun than it would to send it to another star (of course, the other star would still take a lot longer). I assume all that energy is required to deaccelerate from the orbital path everything on earth starts on. Could the large planets be used to change a spacecraft’s trajectory to go directly toward the sun? ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/17 "2011-07-06T21:59:54Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Yes, I know that’s a joke, but as an aside, the Sun is literally the hardest destination in the Universe to reach. It would take more energy to send something to the Sun than it would to send it to another star (of course, the other star would still take a lot longer). Not to hijack, but why is this? It seems like it would be a lot harder to fight gravity than to go with it. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/18 "2011-07-06T22:00:15Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Whoosh galore. She was great in _Goldfinger_. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/19 "2011-07-06T22:00:56Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Yes, I know that’s a joke, but as an aside, the Sun is literally the hardest destination in the Universe to reach. It would take more energy to send something to the Sun than it would to send it to another star (of course, the other star would still take a lot longer). Wow, I learned something new! I’d never thought about it before, but I suppose that even if you fired a rocket in the direction opposite the Earth’s orbital trajectory, which would accelerate it towards the Sun, the greatly lesser mass of the rocket compared to the Earth means that it would have less attraction to the Sun and would spiral rapidly away from the Sun. Correct? It’s easy to forget how _fast_ we’re moving all the time! Even so, is the Sun _really_ the hardest place to get to? Is there no spot in the galactic center, or _any_ galactic center, that would require comparable amounts of energy to navigate to? (I understand that by “hard” you really mean “energy expensive.”) Obviously this depends on making a lot of assumptions–if the universe is infinite then even the intergalactic medium would slow something down eventually, right? ETA: Plus, of course, if you’re willing to wait a really long time, you can just stay on Earth and wait for the Sun to expand! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070/20 "2011-07-06T22:06:06Z")
> [@](#): > > Not to hijack, but why is this? It seems like it would be a lot harder to fight gravity than to go with it. The thing is, we don’t feel any gravity at all from the Sun, since we’re orbiting it. An orbit really _is_ zero-g, despite what you might hear the pedants claim. The lowest-energy way to reach the Sun would be to just stop our circular motion around it, and fall in. But in space, you _can’t_ “just stop”: You have to fire a rocket or the like to do so. And there’s a greater difference in velocity between “orbital velocity” and “stopped” than there is between “orbital velocity” and “escape speed”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-space-shuttle-take-off-in-the-rain/588070.md?page=2)