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Objects in near Earth orbit experience some drag from the from from the atmosphere. (Mind you, it would take a very sensitive instrument to measure atmospheric pressure at 60 miles up.) The answer to the question is that given enough time, the drag will cause the satellite to lose so much momentum that it will crash into Earth. The most famous example of this was Skylab which was launched into orbit in 1973 and burned up in the atmosphere in 1979.
A satellite maintains its orbit by traveling at a high speed horizontally, which balances out the force of gravity pulling it towards Earth. The resistance encountered, such as atmospheric drag, can cause the satellite's speed to decrease slightly, requiring periodic adjustments to maintain its orbit.
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How long does it take sputnik to orbit the earth?
Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, took approximately 96.2 minutes to orbit the Earth once.
Why does objects stay in orbit?
Items, be they planets, moons or satellites, stay in orbit because they care carefully balanced between their inertia and the gravity of the primary object. They are freely falling - AROUND the primary.A satellite in low Earth orbit goes about 18,000 miles per hour in a direction tangent, or sideways, to the Earth's surface. Without gravity, it would fly off into space. It is continually falling toward the Earth. But because the satellite is moving sideways, by the time the satellite would have fallen to the ground, the satellite has already missed; it is along in its orbit, still falling, still traveling sideways to the Earth.
What is a satellite that stays in one location is called?
A satellite that stays in one location is called a geostationary satellite. These satellites orbit at the same speed and direction as the Earth's rotation, allowing them to remain fixed above a specific point on the planet's surface.
Do satellite shine?
According to http://en.allexperts.com/q/Astronomy-1360/Observing-Satellite-Naked-eyes.htm, satellites shine because they reflect sunlight (presumably because they are made of shiny, reflective metal). They orbit high above the earth, so for 2-3 hours after sunset and before sunrise, the sun doesn't shine on the part of Earth you are standing on, but it still hits the satellite. This is when you are most likely to see a satellite.
Is sputnik 1 still working?
No, Sputnik 1 stopped transmitting data in late 1957 shortly after its launch. It remains in orbit around Earth as a non-functioning satellite.
What is the oldest piece of space debris still in orbit?
The oldest piece of space debris still in orbit is the Vanguard 1 satellite, launched by NASA in 1958. This satellite was the fourth artificial satellite to be launched into Earth's orbit and is estimated to remain in orbit for over 200 years due to its high altitude.
How long does it take sputnik to orbit the earth?
Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, took approximately 96.2 minutes to orbit the Earth once.
Why does an orbiting object stay in orbit?
Items, be they planets, moons or satellites, stay in orbit because they care carefully balanced between their inertia and the gravity of the primary object. They are freely falling - AROUND the primary.A satellite in low Earth orbit goes about 18,000 miles per hour in a direction tangent, or sideways, to the Earth's surface. Without gravity, it would fly off into space. It is continually falling toward the Earth. But because the satellite is moving sideways, by the time the satellite would have fallen to the ground, the satellite has already missed; it is along in its orbit, still falling, still traveling sideways to the Earth.
Why does objects stay in orbit?
Items, be they planets, moons or satellites, stay in orbit because they care carefully balanced between their inertia and the gravity of the primary object. They are freely falling - AROUND the primary.A satellite in low Earth orbit goes about 18,000 miles per hour in a direction tangent, or sideways, to the Earth's surface. Without gravity, it would fly off into space. It is continually falling toward the Earth. But because the satellite is moving sideways, by the time the satellite would have fallen to the ground, the satellite has already missed; it is along in its orbit, still falling, still traveling sideways to the Earth.
A satellite is 200 miles above the earth It has a mass of 150 kg If the mass of the satellite were tripled?
You don't really have a question here. If the satellite is in orbit, the mass is essentially irrelevant; it wouldn't change the speed of the orbit or the altitude. A larger satellite mass WOULD HAVE required more fuel and more energy to LAUNCH it, but once in orbit, it will stay there. The only exception would be an exceptionally large, light satellite. There is still some minuscule traces of atmosphere at 200 miles, and a large, light satellite would be slowed by air friction much more than a small dense satellite would. This is what caused the "ECHO" satellite - essentially a silvered mylar balloon inflated in orbit as a primitive reflector comsat - to deorbit.
How old is vanguard1?
Vanguard 1 was the 4th artificial Earth satellite launched. It was placed in orbit on March 17, 1958. Communication was lost in 1964. It remains the oldest man-made satellite still in orbit and as such is the oldest piece of space junk orbiting Earth
What is a satellite that stays in one location is called?
A satellite that stays in one location is called a geostationary satellite. These satellites orbit at the same speed and direction as the Earth's rotation, allowing them to remain fixed above a specific point on the planet's surface.
What is expected to happen to satellites once their power is used up?
An artificial satellite's power is for its radio, not to maintain its orbit. Vanguard, the Navy satellite, ran out of power decades ago, but it had such a good orbit, it's still out there. Someday somebody will find it again, whirling around the Earth in silence.
Does the Archimedes principle hold in a satellite moving in a circular orbit?
Yes, the Archimedes principle applies in a satellite moving in a circular orbit. The principle states that the buoyant force acting on an object is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. In the case of a satellite in orbit, the principle still holds as the satellite is displacing the atmosphere and experiences a reduced weight due to its orbital motion.
Why is it useful that a communications satellite takes one day to orbit the earth?
If an artificial satellite can be positioned so that its orbit is exactly circular, and exactly over the equator, and takes exactly one sidereal day to orbit the earth, then an observer on the earth sees the satellite hang perfectly motionless in the sky. This is a big help when you want to receive radio or TV from the satellite, and you're using a high-gain 'dish' antenna that has to stay pointed at the satellite. If the satellite moved in the sky, then you would need some complicated machinery to keep it always pointed in the right direction. But if the satellite appears motionless in the sky, then your dish never has to move ... just set it once and forget it. If the popular TV satellites moved in the sky, there's no way that all those little dishes on the houses could be equipped to track the satellite and still be economically feasible.
What is the satellite called after launch?
It is still called a satellite.
Is the orbit for a tv satellite called a polar orbit?
A polar orbit (as opposed to an equatorial orbit) passes over the poles, north and south. A low orbit is relatively close to the Earth (or other object being orbited), it might be a few hundred miles up.
