Could You Really Launch a Car Into Space, Like in F9? The Science Behind the Fiction

by

As someone who has spent countless hours watching the Fast and Furious franchise, I must say that the latest installment, F9, took my breath away – literally, as they soared two characters straight into outer space! Growing up with these movies, it’s always been a running joke among fans that the Family would eventually go interstellar. But director Justin Lin didn’t just take it as a joke; he ran with it, creating what has to be one of the most out-of-this-world action sequences yet!

As a gamer, let me tell you, the Fast and Furious series has never been accused of being too grounded in reality. Starting off with its first film firmly rooted in our world, it’s taken some wild turns, veering into ever more outrageous escapades. In the latest installment, F9, two characters pulled off a stunt that would make even the most skilled cosmic gamer blink twice – they went over a quarter mile up, straight into outer space!

As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve always chuckled at the cosmic innuendo surrounding the Family’s potential journey into the great beyond – both among fans and creators alike. Justin Lin, our director, has been subtly hinting at this celestial adventure for quite some time now, biding his time to find the perfect emotional narrative that would make such a leap seem justified. And in F9, he finally found it!

Initially, driving the characters into space using a customized Pontiac Fiero was intended as a joke by Lin, but it turned out to be one of the more realistic action scenes in the movie or the series. In the same interview with THR, Lin revealed that he discussed “fuel and physics” with scientists, and also consulted extensively with NASA experts to ensure the scene was as accurate as possible for a Fast film.

As a gamer, I’d say if anyone has the know-how when it comes to exploring the cosmos, it’s definitely NASA. But let’s ponder for a moment about the challenges we’d face in sending a classic Fiero into space and bringing its crew back safely to Earth.

about:blank

Getting There

Achieving an orbit isn’t overly complex compared to many other tasks, given our decades-long history of doing so effectively. We’ve managed this consistently since the 1960s, even with payloads much larger than a Pontiac Fiero. Countless satellites have been successfully launched into orbit, with many more being sent up on a regular basis.

Routine launches by both government organizations and private businesses have made the event less extraordinary. The Fiero isn’t even the first vehicle to venture into space. Depending on your interpretation, multiple vehicles have departed from our planet for orbit or other celestial bodies. The Apollo program introduced drivable lunar rovers starting with Apollo 15, but their maximum speed was a modest 8 miles per hour (13 kph), hardly breakneck speed.

As a space enthusiast, I often liken Mars rovers to cars, though they’re not driven from within but controlled remotely on Earth. Both Curiosity and Perseverance are roughly the size of an average SUV, making them car-like in scale. And let’s not forget Elon Musk’s daring move, sending a Tesla Roadster into space aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy! The ethics behind launching a car into space might be debatable, but it serves as the unique and (for now) only example of an automobile in orbit – something we can easily recognize.

In summary, placing a car in space isn’t just feasible, it has already been achieved. However, the scenario depicted in F9 is distinct. Here we’re not discussing a car as part of a cargo on a heavy rocket-propelled mission. Instead, we’re referring to a car serving as the launch vehicle itself.

The Fiero has several advantages worth noting. Initially, its payload capacity is relatively low. In comparison to standard vehicles, this car remains lightweight even with modifications and strengthening, much lighter than a typical rocket payload. Additionally, in the movie, it’s not launched from a traditional ground-based launchpad, but instead, it takes off from the air.

The main obstacle in launching the Fiero is the size of its rocket engine, which needs a significant amount of thrust to overcome Earth’s gravity (approximately 11,000 meters per second). Due to this requirement, larger rockets are usually used for smaller payloads. Given the apparent size of the Fiero’s rocket engine, it seems that launching from an airbase rather than a ground-based launchpad might have been the only feasible choice.

Launching to orbit via airborne methods involves attaching a payload to an aircraft and ascending it to high altitudes. This type of launch offers advantages such as shortening the distance needed to reach orbit and traversing less dense atmospheric layers. Essentially, this results in reduced fuel consumption, allowing a vehicle like a Fiero, with a smaller engine, theoretically, to achieve orbital flight.

Regardless of these circumstances, it’s uncertain if the Fiero would reach orbit with the kind of propulsion system they had available.

Getting Back… Alive

Reaching orbital space is merely the initial phase of a successful expedition. Afterward, the main challenge lies in enduring long enough to complete your mission objectives and, ideally, return safely. Given that the Fiero manages to depart Earth, could it be outfitted to sustain its two-member crew?

When designing any spacecraft, there are crucial factors to bear in mind. It must be capable of maintaining an internal environment akin to Earth’s, and it should safely navigate re-entry into our planet’s atmosphere, avoiding damage from excessive heat.

A typical Fiero (or any consumer car) isn’t designed to maintain an atmosphere inside. While driving on Earth, it’s unnecessary for vehicles to be airtight. In fact, some degree of gas exchange is crucial. If your car were completely sealed, issues could arise during long journeys. Cars allow outside air in through intentional openings and even unintentional gaps. On Earth, this prevents passengers from suffocating, but if you plan to drive in space, you’ll need to seal those gaps to prevent leaks. Openings like windows, doors, and vents should be properly sealed, as well as any areas with a separation.

It’s crucial to note that seals designed for use on Earth may not be robust enough for space travel. Spacecraft often incorporate multiple, redundant systems as a precautionary measure. This means having more than necessary rivets, seals, and shields is standard practice in the field of space engineering.

Even on the space station, a well-established space-based craft, leaks happen. Seals fail and micrometeoroids are a concern. Small pieces of debris traveling at high speeds can puncture crafts and leak air into the void. On something like the space station, this can be a minor problem, as far as these things go, because there’s an excess of oxygen able to make up for the loss. In a small craft, like a Fiero, this would be a bigger problem. This brings us to the problem of shielding.

To ensure safety for its passengers, the entire design should be able to shield them from space hazards. Regular windows wouldn’t suffice as a meteoroid could cause devastation similar to that of a car window and the pressure during re-entry could pose challenges. Let’s discuss re-entry…

Spacecrafts enter Earth’s atmosphere at speeds around seven kilometers per second, which produces extreme heat over 1600 degrees Celsius. If the angle isn’t just right, they could either skip off like a stone or burn up. To prevent this, spacecrafts are equipped with heat shielding to withstand the intense friction upon reentry.

Ultimately, transforming a conventional automobile into a spacecraft for both ascending to orbit and returning may theoretically work, but it’s likely not the most practical approach when considering both reaching orbit and safely returning.

Looks pretty cool, though.

Read More

2024-08-14 18:48