How do satellite stay in earth's orbit? - ProProfs Discuss
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How do satellite stay in earth's orbit?

Asked by A. Daniels, Last updated: Apr 09, 2024

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4 Answers

L. Laurel

L. Laurel

Foodie, Traveler, MBA degree holder, Amateur writer

L. Laurel
L. Laurel, Assistant Manager, MBA (Marketing), California

Answered Jan 02, 2020

It is fascinating to know that satellites are able to orbit the planet properly. The satellite is usually placed in the right position so that it will be able to maintain its speed and velocity while it goes around the earth. At the same time, the earth’s gravitational pull will keep it in place.

It is not advisable to place the satellite beyond the usual area where it is going to orbit. It might fall on earth and catch on fire even before it reaches land. If it would be placed too high, it might not fall into orbit. It will go all over space instead. A satellite will be able to orbit the earth for about 5 to 15 years.

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R. Tanner

R. Tanner

R. Tanner
R. Tanner

Answered Dec 24, 2019

The ability of a satellite to stay in orbit is dependent on velocity and gravitational pull from the planet that the satellite is orbiting. The closer the satellite is to a planet, the faster it has to travel to maintain its orbit. For an object to remain in orbit around the earth, it must have enough speed to retrace its path. Natural satellites are employed by this phenomenon, as are artificial satellites.

The strength of the force of attraction is governed by how close the satellite is to an object. It must travel quicker to sustain orbit. A balance between two variables determines a satellite's capacity to maintain its orbit: It’s the velocity (the speed at which it can move in a straight line), and the gravitational pull between the satellite and the planet it circles. The higher the orbit, the less velocity is required. The closer the orbit, the faster it must move to safeguard it doesn’t fall back to earth.

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J. Alva

J. Alva

J. Alva
J. Alva

Answered Dec 20, 2019

Just like, me I am sure you have wondered how satellites are able to stay the earth’s orbit and don’t just fall from the sky. It turns out that satellite orbits Earth when its speed is balanced by the pull of Earth's gravity. To understand this concept better, you need to understand the two big factors here: Its velocity and the gravitational pull. The orbit of the Earth is not a perfect circle but elliptical (it is slightly oval in shape). For an object to stay around the orbit of the Earth, it must have enough speed to retrace its path. In the case of gravitational pull, all objects possess a gravitational field, but it is most significant and felt in large objects.

A satellite that is orbiting closer to the Earth will require more velocity to resist the stronger gravitational pull. The greater the altitude, the less velocity is needed to maintain the orbit. In summary, the higher the orbit, the less velocity required, and the nearer the orbit, the faster it has to move to ensure that it does not fall.

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F. Hope

F. Hope

F. Hope
F. Hope

Answered Dec 19, 2019

The first-ever satellite was launched back on October 4, 1957. This satellite is called Sputnik 1. This artificial satellite changed so many things in history. Soon after that, the Soviet Union released another satellite that they called Sputnik 2. In fact, on January 31, 1958, another satellite was launched, and it was called The Explorer.

The launch site is Launch Complex 26A, and the operator of this is the Army Ballistic Missile Agency. The main reason why this satellite was launched is to respond to the satellites that were launched by the Soviet Union. The launching of the different satellites has made things more complicated for the countries that are affected by the situation. There is more tension that occurred after this incident.

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