Could the Space Shuttle Return to Earth Slowly and Skip Heat Shields?

Good question! This article attempts to answer that.

You can actively slow your descent, but that needs a rocket to slow you down.

What sort of a rocket do you need to make your speed constant? Well, it would have to do pretty much what the rocket did to get you up into orbit in the first place.

To me, the best way of educating the public of science is to illustrate how it is used in things they see everyday. So questions and answers like this are some of the most effective means of science education.

Zz.