Ask Marilyn

The space shuttle is shot into flight with explosive force, hurtles through the atmosphere spewing flames, orbits the planet, braves frying from friction on the way back down-and yet it can't land in the rain? Why not?
-D. Gross, Springfield, Mass.

Whether the shuttle is taking off or landing, its speed is astounding. (Only two minutes after launch, the craft already is traveling about 3500 mph on its way to 17,500 mph in orbit.)

At high speed, ordinary drops of water would pepper the vehicle's tiled surface like a rain of bullets. As the tiles are brittle, such showers must be avoided.