Table of Contents
- 1 What effect does atmospheric drag have on a satellite?
- 2 Why do satellites travel so fast?
- 3 Why does gravitational force change the speed of a satellite?
- 4 What is the main source atmospheric drag on satellites?
- 5 Do satellites travel at different speeds?
- 6 Do satellites move slow?
- 7 Why does the linear speed of a satellite orbiting the earth not depend on the mass of the satellite?
- 8 How does the sun affect the drag force on satellites?
- 9 Does air drag force affect the orbital variation in low Earth orbit?
- 10 Why do satellites fly closer to the earth’s surface?
What effect does atmospheric drag have on a satellite?
Overtime, atmospheric drag will affect space stations and other artificial satellites in low earth orbit by contributing to their orbital decay, ultimately bringing them closer and closer to the object they orbit, Earth.
Why do satellites travel so fast?
They complete an orbit in about 90 minutes because they are close to the Earth and gravity causes them to move very quickly at around 17,000 miles per hour. Many satellites need to be used for communication relay because the area they cover on Earth’s surface is small and they are moving so quickly.
How do satellites get their speed?
A satellite maintains its orbit by balancing two factors: its velocity (the speed it takes to travel in a straight line) and the gravitational pull that Earth has on it. A satellite orbiting closer to the Earth requires more velocity to resist the stronger gravitational pull.
Why does gravitational force change the speed of a satellite?
The gravitational force changes the speed of a satellite in elliptical orbit because there is a component of the force in the direction of the satellite’s motion. The gravitational force does do work on a satellite in elliptical orbit because there is a component of the force in the direction the satellite moves.
What is the main source atmospheric drag on satellites?
Atmospheric drag at orbital altitude is caused by frequent collisions of gas molecules with the satellite. It is the major cause of orbital decay for satellites in low Earth orbit. It results in the reduction in the altitude of a satellite’s orbit.
How does atmospheric drag affect an elliptical orbit?
The atmospheric drag disturbance reduces both the semimajor axis and the eccentricity of the satellite orbit constantly. In other words, the atmospheric effects will linearly reduce the altitude (height) of the satellite and will constantly alter the satellite orbital ellipse towards a more circular orbit.
Do satellites travel at different speeds?
No, satellites that orbit at different altitudes have different speeds. These satellites travel at about 11,000 kilometers per hour (7,000 miles per hour). The moon, at about 380,000 kilometers from the earth (240,000 miles) only travels about 3,700 kilometers per hour (2,300 miles per hour).
Do satellites move slow?
The satellites travel very close to the Earth (as low as 200 km above sea level), so they must travel at very high speeds (nearly 8,000 m/s). These orbits are much higher than polar orbits (typically 36,000 km) so the satellites travel more slowly (around 3 km/s).
What does the speed of a satellite orbiting Earth depend on?
The period, speed and acceleration of a satellite are only dependent upon the radius of orbit and the mass of the central body that the satellite is orbiting.
Why does the linear speed of a satellite orbiting the earth not depend on the mass of the satellite?
The speed of a satellite in circular orbit around a planet does not depend on the mass of the satellite. The mass of the satellite does cancel out because it shows up both in the gravitational force and in the inertia (ma). 8.
How does the sun affect the drag force on satellites?
The drag force on satellites increases during times when the Sun is active. When the Sun adds extra energy the atmosphere the low density layers of air at LEO altitudes rise and are replaced by higher density layers that were previously at lower altitudes.
What causes a satellite’s orbit to decay monotonically in time?
Thus, we deduce that It follows that the atmospheric drag force causes the major radius and eccentricity of the satellite’s orbit to both decay monotonically in time [because the right-hand sides of Equations ( 10.155) and ( 10.156) are both negative].
Does air drag force affect the orbital variation in low Earth orbit?
In the present study, the variation of the orbital elements of the satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment due to the effect of the air drag force has been calculated. The variation of the rotation velocity of the atmosphere is considered.
Why do satellites fly closer to the earth’s surface?
Although the air density is much lower than that near the earth’s surface, the air resistance in those layers of the atmosphere, especially at altitudes ranging from 300-800 km above the earth’s surface, is still strong enough to produce drag and pull the satellites closer to the earth.