about 350 miles is where the international space station is.
Most communications satellites operate outside of the earth's atmosphere. The GPS satellites are about 23,000 miles from the surface of the earth.
Old satellites orbiting near the Earth eventually fall back into the atmosphere and burn. Satellites orbiting farther away stay in orbit indefinitely.
Satellites need to be out of the earth's atmosphere or the gravity would make them fall to the ground. In space, the satellites are also able to orbit the earth effortlessly because they have less weight.
Drag causes the satellites to drop further into the earth's atmosphere. The further the s/c (spacecraft, in the case of your question, a satellite) dips into the earth's atmosphere the greater the effects of atmospheric drag. Eventually, it can cause the s/c to burn up in the earth's atmosphere. - Senior majoring in Aerospace Engineering
Satellites in low orbit are affected by drag from the very top layer of the atmosphere. This drag eventually slows them down, which brings them in contact with denser layers of atmosphere, which slows them down and brings them down even more. Eventually, they burn up by the heat from rushing real fast through the air.
If they are in the atmosphere (low earth orbit), satellites are in the ionosphere. If they are in higher orbits, satellites are considered to be outside the atmosphere.
Yes, airplanes cannot fly in the thermosphere due to the extremely low air density at that altitude. Satellites do not fly in the traditional sense but orbit within the thermosphere, taking advantage of the lack of air resistance.
Satellites in a low orbit, however, are slowed by friction with Earth's atmosphere.
Low earth orbit is generally defined as orbiting the Earth at between 200 and 2,000 kilometers (124 to 1240 miles) above the Earth's surface.Below 200km, the gravity of the Earth causes the orbit of any object to decay quite quickly. Above 2,000km is the Van Allen radiation belt - a strip of energetic charged particles held in place by the Earth's magnetic field. The radiation discharged by these particles can cause damage to electrical circuits on satellites and other space vehicles - for example, the Hubble Space Telescope usually has its instruments turned off if it has to pass through this region of radiation. So satellites and manned orbital vehicles tend to orbit below 2,000km. For further information on the Van Allen belt, please read the Related Links below.
Anything up to 2000 km (1240 miles) above sea level. Low earth orbiting satellites can suffer from atmospheric drag at very low altitudes, although there is little gas around at their orbit, there may still be enough to slow the satellite and cause it's orbit to decay. The lowest satellites would be around 300km in altitude, but would not be able to sustain orbit without an occasional boost.
Orbiting satellites are typically found in the thermosphere layer of the atmosphere, which extends from about 80 to 600 kilometers above the Earth's surface. This layer is where the density of gas molecules is low enough for satellites to orbit without experiencing significant atmospheric drag.
No, there is too much atmospheric drag at these heights for a satellite to maintain an orbit, but it is too high for airplanes which have 'air breathing' engines. Some high altitude planes such as the SR-71 Blackbird and U2 can fly up to 25km, but not as high as 50km which is the lower boundary for the Mesosphere. Some experimental rocket planes such as the X-15 have been able reach these heights.
Satellites are typically found in the exosphere, which is the outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere. This region extends from about 500 km above Earth's surface to beyond 10,000 km. Satellites in low Earth orbit may also traverse the thermosphere and ionosphere.
Most communications satellites operate outside of the earth's atmosphere. The GPS satellites are about 23,000 miles from the surface of the earth.
No, satellites should not fly on people because they are designed to orbit the Earth or travel through space autonomously. Placing satellites on people would be impractical, dangerous, and inefficient for their intended purpose.
Satellites can orbit at different altitudes depending on their purpose. Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites typically orbit from 160 to 2,000 kilometers above the Earth's surface, while geostationary satellites are much higher, at about 35,786 kilometers. Various factors like communication, weather monitoring, or surveillance determine the satellite's optimal orbit.
An orbit within the outermost part of Earth's atmosphere is known as a Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Satellites in LEO typically orbit between 160 and 2,000 kilometers above the Earth's surface. These orbits are commonly used for communication, weather observation, and Earth monitoring satellites.