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 distance of a light year. How long would it take the space shuttle to go one light-year? The shuttle orbits the Earth at about 5 miles per second (18,000 mph). Light travels at 186,000 miles per second, which is about 37,200 times faster than the shuttle. So the shuttle would need about 37,200 years to go one light-year.