I just learnt why exactly satellites stay in orbit....

[Kamal]

Re: I just learnt why exactly satellites stay in orbit....

well, how did you think it worked before? Theres also multiple satellite orbits that can be achieved

you MUST be as drunk as me

But they're on a long descent back to Earth aren't they?

no they aren't on a descent, as long as they have solar battery pack on to keep a minimal amount of thrust going, they will stay in orbit before they come crashing back to earth.

[Jenks]

Re: I just learnt why exactly satellites stay in orbit....

I just learned that "learnt" is actually a word. It's chiefly British past and past participle of learn. All this time I just thought it was the hick dumb-ass way of saying "learned." I was about to break off some grammar police, and i dun got learned on.

[heretic]

Re: I just learnt why exactly satellites stay in orbit....

[CactusBeats]

Re: I just learnt why exactly satellites stay in orbit....

I totally love this kind of stuff. Well, physics really. Some of it is so simple, yet mind-blowing. Am reading a book by Bill Bryson right now called "A Short History of Nearly Everything." It makes science & physics actually interesting. It tells the stories from a different perspective. Also check out books by Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Guy is an astrophysicist. Some call him the next Carl Sagan. He makes this stuff understandable to some degree also.

When you throw a baseball, it is in orbit for a little bit too. Just that the earth catches up to it.

[feather]

Re: I just learnt why exactly satellites stay in orbit....

But they're on a long descent back to Earth aren't they?

[heretic]

Re: I just learnt why exactly satellites stay in orbit....

well, how did you think it worked before? Theres also multiple satellite orbits that can be achieved

[Kamal]

.....the booster is just powerful enough to carry it to the "edge" of space. The earth continues to spin away from the rocket as it climbs and so the gravity of earth (even though its getting weaker) keeps pulling the satellite back towards earth but the vacuum of space (now that the satellite has reached a certain altitude) keeps the inertia from the initial propulsion of the rocket, continuously pushing it forward......at this stage, you have 2 opposing forces nearly canceling each other out thereby creating a low-level artificial satellite. Fascinating init? Esp considering they figured this by Newton and achieved in the mid 50's.

The speed to capture this phenomenon as calculated by Newton = 17,000 Miles/Hr.

BRILLIANT