Is it possible to fly a plane in space?

No, it isn’t easy to fly a plane in space. The Earth’s atmosphere is what aeroplanes rely on for lift and propulsion. Air is required for aeroplane takeoff and forward flight. Due to the absence of an atmosphere, planes cannot fly in space.

Instead, they are designed to work in zero gravity environments. When there is no air resistance, they use rockets to move and propel themselves. They usually employ designs and materials that are dissimilar from those of aeroplanes in order to withstand the harsh conditions of space.

Aeroplanes can only fly because their large wings generate enough lift to keep them in the air. This lift, which keeps an aeroplane in flight against Earth’s gravity, is produced by airflow above and below the large wings of an aeroplane. An aeroplane’s primary means of propulsion is air; its engines only provide it with enough thrust to keep it moving in the face of aerodynamic drag.

Only 7.5 miles of altitude are accessible to large planes. It is too thin above that altitude. It was unable to support the plane. Some aeroplanes have a significantly higher ceiling. A special NASA aircraft called Helios had a maximum range of 19 miles. This height has never been reached by another aircraft. There, the air is around one hundred times thinner than it is at sea level. The air gets drier as you ascend.

Even in a low orbit, a spacecraft still rises to a height of around 125 miles. Over the ordinary dense air, this is a big improvement. No plane could possibly get so near. A rocket is needed to reach even the lowest Earth orbit.