To return to Earth, the spacecraft was braked by dense atmospheres.
US shuttle.
This friction reduced their speed from 28,000km / h to about 100km / h. Next, one or more parachutes will help with a landing or a soft landing.
Upon returning from the Moon, the Apollo ships passed through the atmosphere at a higher speed (40,000 km / h). Thus gave birth to a huge heat escape. However the ship was protected by an insulating cover.
The classic spacecraft will gradually disappear, replacing it with rocket-capable planes without the aid of any airstrip. That's what the US space shuttle has been doing since 1981.
