https://mstdn.social/@ElleGray/111067098463188124
elle @ElleGray I don't mind that rockets are so obviously phallic but I do think the astronauts should have to come out of a tiny hole in the tip
this post was submitted on 15 Sep 2023
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Aerospace engineer here, i know this is supposed to be a joke. Just wanted to tell you why they dont do this (besides for the joke). The nose of a rocket creates a shock wave that absorbs a large portion of the heat and energy create during ascent and entry. If it wasn't for this, aka, we made the nose sharp, or had a Hatch to come out (which would weaken the rocket structurally), there's a good chance the rocket would just burn up during the launch or return.
The shape of a rocket nose was classified information for a really really long time bcz sharper shapes are more aerodynamic, so that's the shape people thought we needed to use. But, once you reach speeds where shock waves are significant, and heat is a huge issue, that no longer works. So, we blunt the rocket nose.
TLDR, it's a heat thing.
Not an aerospace engineer but just a big fan of space/spaceflight. They do do this. Just about every manned spacecraft with a docking port has the part where astronauts come out at the tippy top (look at apollo, soyuz, shenzou, gaganyaan, dreamliner, dragon). They just wrap it up for launch with something that can protect them on the way up.