Spaceplane Cross-Range Glide

Entry Controls

Bank angle σ 20°

Lift-to-drag ratio (L/D) 1.20

Entry velocity 7.20 km/s

Ready at 80 km, 7.20 km/s

Live Telemetry

Altitude

80.0 km

Velocity

7.20 km/s

Heating rate

0.0 W/cm²

Deceleration

0.00 g

Cross-range

0.0 km

Downrange

0.0 km

How it works

A lifting-body spaceplane (Space Shuttle Orbiter, X-37B, Dream Chaser) descends through the atmosphere generating real aerodynamic lift and drag, unlike a ballistic capsule. Rolling the vehicle about its velocity vector by a bank angle σ splits the lift force into a vertical component that fights gravity and a horizontal component that steers the ground track sideways — the vehicle's only way to change its landing point during hypersonic flight:

dV/dt  = -D/m - g·sin γ
dγ/dt  = (L·cos σ)/(mV) - (g·cos γ)/V
dψ/dt  = (L·sin σ)/(mV·cos γ)
dh/dt  = V·sin γ
D = ½ρV²S·Cd,  L = D·(L/D)

Atmospheric density follows an exponential model ρ = ρ₀·e^(−h/H), so drag and lift both grow rapidly as the vehicle descends into thicker air. Stagnation-point heating follows the Sutton–Graves approximation:

q̇ = k·√(ρ/Rₙ)·V³   (Sutton–Graves, k ≈ 1.74×10⁻⁴)

Bank angle σ — tilts the lift vector. A wings-level (σ=0°) glide holds a straight ground track; steep bank steers cross-range but reduces vertical lift, so altitude bleeds off faster.
L/D ratio — the vehicle's aerodynamic efficiency at its trimmed angle of attack. A higher L/D (more wing-like) stretches the glide and reduces peak heating; a lower L/D (blunter, more capsule-like) is a steeper, hotter ride.
Entry velocity — orbital reentry speeds run 7.5–7.9 km/s; higher entry speed raises both peak heating (∝V³) and peak deceleration.

The orange trail is the vehicle's plasma sheath — ionized, compressed air glowing brightest exactly where the heating-rate readout peaks, which is why reentry produces a radio blackout and a visible fireball.

Plasma / heating trail Ground track

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