If planes fly almost to space, their engines will likely fail due to a lack of oxygen.
The Problem: Oxygen Deprivation
Most planes rely on internal combustion engines that require oxygen to burn fuel. As a plane ascends into the higher altitudes approaching space, the air thins significantly. This means there is substantially less oxygen available for the engine to use.
- Engine Stall: According to provided information, "most planes depend on combustion by burning fuel with outside air; if a plane gets high enough, the engine is starved of oxygen, and dies."
Implications
The consequences of engine failure at high altitudes are severe:
- Loss of Thrust: The plane loses the power needed to maintain altitude and airspeed.
- Potential for a Stall: Without sufficient speed and lift, the plane could enter a stall, leading to a rapid and uncontrolled descent.
- Emergency Landing Required: Pilots would need to attempt an emergency landing, which is extremely challenging from such a high altitude.
Solutions (For very specialized aircraft, not typical passenger planes)
While standard aircraft can't function at near-space altitudes, specialized aircraft and spacecraft are designed to overcome this:
- Rocket Engines: These engines carry their own oxidizer (like liquid oxygen), allowing them to operate in the vacuum of space.
- Air-Augmented Rocket Engines: These engines combine elements of jet and rocket propulsion, utilizing atmospheric oxygen when available but switching to onboard oxidizer at higher altitudes.
