17,500 miles per hour puts the shuttle in orbit. BUT the gravity is still there. I'm fact there is about 90% of the gravity while the shuttle is on the ground. That great rate of speed is required to keep the shuttle from falling back to earth. At that speed the shuttle is basically falling around the planet.
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To reach outer space, rockets must escape the force of gravity. Gravity is the force that pulls objects towards the center of a mass, such as the Earth. Rockets need to generate enough thrust to overcome Earth's gravity and reach escape velocity to enter outer space.
The space shuttle needs to go fast in order to reach orbit around the Earth. By going fast, the shuttle can overcome the gravitational pull of the Earth and enter into a stable orbit where it remains in space. This speed is necessary to counteract the pull of gravity and maintain a continuous state of freefall around the Earth.
A space shuttle requires about 3.8 million pounds of thrust to overcome Earth's gravity and reach orbit. This force is generated by its main engines and solid rocket boosters during liftoff.
When on Earth, you can escape if you move away from the Earth at the "escape" speed. Gravity will slow you down and you will reach zero speed at an infinite distance.
A space shuttle needs to reach a speed of approximately 17,500 miles per hour, known as orbital velocity, to successfully leave the Earth's atmosphere and enter space. This speed allows the shuttle to counteract the pull of Earth's gravity and achieve a stable orbit around the planet.