06. How do satellites stay in orbit? Over time, do they drop lower and lower in orbit? What is the average life of a satellite? (A K2S Question)

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Satellites operate outside most of the atmosphere, so there is very little resistance to their motion. They are launched into orbit horizontally at speeds of at least 17,500 miles per hour (mph) but remain under the influence of Earth's gravity. When the calculations are done correctly, there is a tug of war between the tendency to speed off in a straight line, and Earth's attraction, which results in pulling the spacecraft back into a circuit of the Earth. At the lowest orbital altitudes, there are some very thin traces of atmosphere which will eventually cause a satellite's orbit to drop lower. Beyond this low orbit regime, a satellite can remain in orbit forever.

Answer provided by Derek Webber


Image:K2S logosmall.jpg Question and Answer extracted from the book Kids to Space - by Lonnie Schorer


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