I am. outraged at the university's treatment of a retired professor.. Mark of Excellence The matter of the practical benefits of emeritus status, however, is amoot point at many institutions, especially community colleges, thatlack resources to share with retired faculty members.
Dear publish1000-ga; You posed a great question. The answer is really much simpler than it first appears. The US Space Shuttle uses a rocket propulsion system to get into its final orbit in its approach to Earth. Other than that the Shuttle is essentially falling and during re-entry the aircraft is actually a glider. The reentry speed is largely dictated by the Earth gravitational pull and given the physics of such a reentry the speed is typically approximately 25,405 feet per second (17,322 statute miles per hour).
The space station orbits the Earth at height of about 200 miles (350 km) at a speed of about 17,000 MPH (28,000 km/hr), taking about one and a half hours per orbit around Earth. Astronauts aboard are weightless because their space ship is falling freely. Its rocket engines are turned off and nothing is holding it up.