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Rockets go straight up at launch. Not because that's the only physically possible way to go, but because "straight up" is the quickest way out of the atmosphere. By the time the Shuttle is going Mach 6 or so, it's beyond the vast bulk of the sensible atmosphere, and can forge on ahead to orbital velocity without further aerothermal heating issues. But at Mach 6, the airbreathing launch vehicle is just getting started. Bits of the X-15 started melting off at those speeds... but the poor airbreathing SSTO has to keep plowing ahead, and in fact has to accelerate to *four* times this speed while still in the atmosphere.

[QUOTE="Orionblamblam, post: 117639, member: 90"] Rockets go straight up at launch. Not because that's the only physically possible way to go, but because "straight up" is the quickest way out of the atmosphere. By the time the Shuttle is going Mach 6 or so, it's beyond the vast bulk of the sensible atmosphere, and can forge on ahead to orbital velocity without further aerothermal heating issues. But at Mach 6, the airbreathing launch vehicle is just getting started. Bits of the X-15 started melting off at those speeds... but the poor airbreathing SSTO has to keep plowing ahead, and in fact has to accelerate to *four* times this speed while still in the atmosphere. [/QUOTE]

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