![]() Hence why missions to LEO aim for attitudes between 160 to 1000 km (99 to 620 mi). In these belts, solar wind and cosmic rays have been trapped by Earth’s magnetic field, leading to varying levels of radiation. However, beyond 1000 km (620 mi), objects will be subject to Earth’s Van Allen Radiation Belts – a zone of charged particles that extends to a distance of 60,000 km from the Earth’s surface. The higher the object’s orbit, the lower the 1atmospheric density and drag. Objects that are in a low-Earth orbit are subject to atmospheric drag since they are still within the upper layers of Earth’s atmosphere – specifically the thermosphere (80 – 500 km 50 – 310 mi), theremopause (500–1000 km 310–620 mi), and the exosphere (1000 km 620 mi, and beyond). The layers of our atmosphere showing the altitude of the most common auroras. the time it will take them to orbit the Earth once) of between 88 and 127 minutes. Objects at this altitude also have an orbital period (i.e. Any object below this altitude will being to suffer from orbital decay and will rapidly descend into the atmosphere, either burning up or crashing on the surface. Technically, objects in low-Earth orbit are at an altitude of between 160 to 2,000 km (99 to 1200 mi) above the Earth’s surface. So just what is LEO and why are we so intent on sending things there? Definition: And it is here that the International Space Station (ISS) conducts its operations, which is also where the majority of crewed missions today go. It is here that the Earth’s vast array of communications, navigation and military satellites reside. Over time, with the Apollo missions and deep space missions involving robotic spacecraft (like the Voyager missions), we began to venture beyond, reaching the Moon and other planets of the Solar System.īut by and large, the vast majority of missions to space over the years – be they crewed or uncrewed – have been to Low-Earth Orbit. And for a time, all of our missions were what is known as Low-Earth Orbit (LEO). Beginning in the 1950s with the Sputnik, Vostok and Mercury programs, human beings began to “slip the surly bonds of Earth”.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |