What would happen if the Earth stoped moving and there were still satellites in orbit around it?

Answer 1

We'd have a serious problem with the moon. If it was on the "going" side of the earth, that is, if the moon was in orbit in the direction the earth was moving, it would keep going. There would be a serious pull from the earth, and there would be a curve in the path of the moon as it left the vicinity of the earth, but it would be headed out into space. If the moon was on the other side, it would plow into us. Game over. If the moon was on either "side" of its orbit, it would still escape earth. It's too massive not to, and it has too much kinetic energy to stay here if the earth stopped cold. Orbiting satellites would take the same kind of hit. They're a lot less massive than the moon, but they're a heck of a lot less closer. Satellites would leave orbit and move off into space, change orbital height according to how much mass they have and exactly where they were in their orbits, or would return to earth and burn up or crash. There is a good sized set of variables there. Individual calculations would have to be made for each satellite. It's mass and in particular its location in its orbit are critical. Remember some satellites are in polar orbit. We'd lose some of them, and other would crash into the planet. There are many satellites up there, and a every orbit you can imagine probably has a bird or three in it. Make some simple drawings and think it through. You'll get a handle on it in short order.