Can missiles send items into space?

Question

It is said that missiles can be used to shoot down satellites, but can it take things into space also?

Like, send something into space, high enough to get rid of the earth's gravity, and go deep into space.

Answer 1

Reaching space is relatively easy, it just means getting at least 100 km (about 60 miles) up. The German V-2's managed that on their way from Belgium to London.



STAYING in space is much harder. You need to either reach orbital velocity, which is a lot faster than you need to go just to get into space, or escape velocity which is faster still.



ICBMs don't quite reach orbital velocity, but they aren't far off. Replace the warhead with a lighter satellite and make a few other tweaks and it'll get the satellite into orbit. Indeed there are PLENTY of rockets that are based on ballistic missiles. And not just designs either - the Minotaur rockets are actually built using parts from decommissioned missiles.

Answer 2

The typical missile is not powerful enough to go to space. The typical missile is used as a short-distance weapon, usually less than 20 miles. Think "Air-to-Air" missile under the wing of a fighter jet.



There ARE missiles, called ICBMs (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles) that are specifically designed to launch payloads (explosives) from one country to another, but are NOT powerful enough to send anything into space.



The Redstone ICBM was the rocket selected for the first manned space flights, the MERCURY Missions. But this was NOT a "standard" Redstone missile; it needed MANY modifications, including a more powerful engine using a more powerful fuel, to put a man into space. for later flights, the ATLAS ICBM was used. The Titan II ICBM, again needing upgraded, was used for the Gemini Missions.



The Saturn V rocket used for Apollo was specifically designed for manned space launches. The Saturn vehicles were never intended as ICBM's.



Technically, NO, a missile CAN NOT launch anything int space. The standard "missile" does not have the power to put anything into space. Any missiles used for space shots must be modified, even completely rebuilt, to work as space launch vehicles. So, the desired "plan of attack" is to design the rocket SPECIFICALLY for space mission, and we no longer use converted or modified missiles.



The United States DOES NOT have any ground-launched missiles capable of shooting down satellites, nor do we have any air-launched missiles with that capability. It is RUMORED that some defense satellites carry their own missiles, but using them would be an act of war.



As well, adding defensive rockets to any satellite would add additional launch weight, which translates to a larger rocket, more fuels, and MUCH MUCH HIGHER costs to launch. Defensive missiles in satellites does NOT make any economic sense, even in war time. It is doubtful that any space craft in orbit today has any kind of offensive or defensive weapons.

Answer 3

Missiles can REACH space, but that's not the same as inserting a satellite into orbit or launching a space probe.



To reach space, you just need to achieve an altitude of (about) 60 miles, which is where the top of the atmosphere is. To get 1 kg of material to that altitude, you need a minimum of 980000 Joules of energy (in the form of fuel) to fight the earth's gravity (you also need more to fight air friction, etc.)



But that's just the bare minimum to get you there. Gravity still exists in space and still pulls you; so if you apply the bare minimum energy, you'll reach space, slow to a stop, turn around and fall back down.



In order to STAY in space, you need more energy. The least energetic solution is to move horizontally once you're in space, fast enough so that as gravity pulls on you, your path will curve just enough to follow the curvature of the earth. That means you're in orbit. To keep from falling back down, you have to move (horizontally) at about 5 miles per second, and to achieve that speed requires about 32 million Joules of energy per kg. So in other words, achieving a minimum orbit requires about 32 times as much energy as merely reaching space.



No existing missiles are equipped to move that fast. So those that can reach space are considered "sub-orbital", which means they can reach space, but then (withing a few minutes) the force of gravity pulls them back down into the atmosphere again.



To "break free" of the earth's gravity requires still more energy. If (after reaching space) you can move at about 7 miles per second or faster, you enter a trajectory that moves ever farther from the earth. Gravity DOES still pull on you; but in this case gravity cannot overcome your outward momentum. The critical speed of (about) 7 miles per second is called "escape velocity," and reaching it requires about 63 million Joules of energy per kilogram. (That is, about 63 times as much energy as merely reaching space).

Answer 4

The space programe grew out of missile technology. A ballistic intercontinental missile is a space vehicle because they reach pace, partially orbit the Earth and then re-enter.

A space delivery rocket is a big missile with a large warhead or payload.

The USA panicked when Sputnik orbited because that launch told the USA "we can drop a warhead anywhere on the planet".

In essence there is no difference between a missile and a space vehicle, a missile for anti-satellite shots has no weight or provision for re-entry.

Answer 5

You can't "get rid of the earth's gravity" just by leaving the atmosphere. A missile can do that, but then it falls back to earth again because it doesn't achieve orbital velocity. To remain in space, a high enough speed must be attained so that your trajectory becomes circular and remains above the atmosphere instead of parabolic, falling back down again. An orbital trajectory is significantly more difficult than a suborbital one. At no time, however, does earth's gravity just go away.

Answer 6

Isn't a missile a rocket? Yes, rockets are used to get things into space. You can not get rid of gravity.

Answer 7

With enough power a missile could leave Earth's atmosphere. If you want a bigger understanding of missiles and explosives and don't want to have to sit through a lot of boring science textbooks, you could try checking out the TV show Mythbusters. It's a lot of fun and it's all science. They love explosives and once you watch it, you will never look at an explosion the same way again.

Answer 8

You mean, like satellites or space probes or rockets to other planets? Why...that is ridiculous.

Answer 9

a missile is nothing more than a rocket.



Yes.

Answer 10

Rockets are basically giant missiles

Answer 11

Yes it is possible and humans have already accomplished that feat decades ago.

Answer 12

with large amount of fuel, yes. they can even be used to strike incoming asteroids.