We discuss escape velocity and use Gagarin and Glenn as examples. Their spacecrafts were just catapulted to orbit Earth at 7000 m/s high speed and 400 000 m altitude by strong rockets 1961/2. You need much more speed to escape but here it was just an orbit test at low altitude and speed. Gagarin made one orbit, Glenn made three! To stop orbiting both heroes reduced velocity to landing velocity using brake rockets to lower altitude by gravity, so they entered the atmosphere at 120000 m altitude, where very weak air friction drag reduced velocity from say 8100 m/s to 100 m/s during 10 minutes, so parachutes could be used for vertical landing. OK, Gagarin jumped out of his craft and landed himself with his personal parachute.
Question is can any spacecraft slow down from 8000 m/s to 0 just by air friction during 10 minutes. My finding is that it is not possible. Either you burn up or crash but you cannot rely on air friction. Of course there are plenty people suggesting the opposite and their only evidence is that they consider me a liar. They apparently believe Gagarin and Glenn and air friction. To solve the question I offer anyone €1M proving me wrong since many years.