Very random sci-fi question...

[Dr.]

If a spaceship was flying in the upper level of a planet's atmosphere, would taking out its engine bank cause it to crash to the planet surface, or just immobilize it?

It depends on what you mean by “upper.” The ISS, for instance, is technically located in the thermosphere (part of the upper atmosphere). But for practical purposes, we typically say that it’s in space (not in the “atmosphere”).

If your spaceship is within the conventional atmosphere - behaving like an airplane, using its engines to stay aloft - then shooting out those engines would cause it to fall (or, at best, to glide to a crash-landing). If it was in orbit (as Doc Evo mentioned), then its engines wouldn’t even be on. A sci-fi type “boarding raid” would be much easier in orbit than in atmospheric flight.

 

[chaseter]

Any craft in a planet's atmosphere will succumb to gravity. What do you think is keeping the atmosphere there?

 

[Pink Ranger]

Any craft in a planet's atmosphere will succumb to gravity. What do you think is keeping the atmosphere there?

My guess is either midichlorians or thetans.

 

[Doctor Evo]

Any craft in a planet's atmosphere will succumb to gravity. What do you think is keeping the atmosphere there?

I don't think it's the proximity that matters as much as the effect of drag from the atmosphere itself. Gravity is what keeps the moon tied to the earth, but it's well beyond our atmosphere. If anything caused the moon to slow down in its orbital velocity, it too would succumb to the earth's gravity.

 

[ThDWgeek]

My guess is either midichlorians or thetans.

Or maybe midithetians?

 

[Pink Ranger]

Or maybe midithetians?

Now THAT'S crazy.

 

[Thundercrack85]

I don't know if this is the right place to ask this, but I have no idea where else it would fit...

If a spaceship was flying in the upper level of a planet's atmosphere, would taking out its engine bank cause it to crash to the planet surface, or just immobilize it?

Serious replies please.

I guess that would depend on the propulsion system. And the design of the craft (a spaceplane vs say a ship-like spacecraft).

But it's going to come down if the engines don't work.