How can you self-identify as a science geek and not know that rockets take them to orbit, that they remain in orbit by themselves for a long time unless the orbit is low enough to result in atmospheric drag, and that few are ever brought back to Earth (excepting manned missions) and that most will remain in orbit for hundreds or thousands of years, barring some sort of war, cataclysm, or concerted effort to collect them?
It’s not brain surgery, it is rocket science. More like rocket surgery.
Well the North Koreans do it with a commodity that is in great abundance wherever bulls congregate....
Cuz at this late date even google can't save you.
Good luck, though,
Cuz at this late date even google can't save you.
Good luck, though,
They are lofted into space aboard rockets.
They are usually solar powered and use k-band antenas is for communication.
There are 3 different orbit altitude classifications. Low Earth Orbit, Medium Earth Orbit and High Earth Orbit.
What do you think the phrase “science geek” means? (Hint: it is not someone who asks other people about the basics of rocketry, which are readily available on the Internet, even if one weren’t a “science geek” who should already know this by definition).
Perhaps instead of “I’m a science geek” you should have said, “I’m a person who is interested in science (even though that has little to do with rockets or satellites) and don’t understand how to do searches on the Internet, but would like to understand how satellites get to orbit.”
Because that’s basically what you said.
Well come on. It is a rather simple thing to study - There is an excellent, though wordy, book “SPACE” by James A Michener that has excellent simplified explanations of how astrophysics works, and how things dock and remain in orbit along with the detailed explanations of the engineering concepts involved in going to the moon and back which are rather more involved, but fascinating.
Try reading it and see if it peaks your interest as much as it did mine.
Cooks know the basic physics. Mass, velocity, all that stuff. fma equations...
But we know when to shut up.
Mostly. (for NSA types, I'm just kidding)
/johnny
How do we know you don’t work for North Korea?
Are you ten? Every time a rocket has launched a description of how this works is done by NASA. Rockets burn fuel. IF you truly are a science ‘geek’ then you should know some physics-—the laws of which ( even Newtonian) take over. The fore generated by the fuel burning launches the rocket into motion. Gravity effects the direction of travel. If one has enough velocity to overcome the effects of gravity you achieve orbit. Go build some small rockets and learn while doing.
Simple, upsidasium.
What you’re really asking about is a field of physics called “orbital mechanics.”
I was forced to study this for one semester. Why they made a EE study orbital mechanics... I have no idea. Never used it since. Every other course where I asked at the time “Why are we studying this nonsense?” I have used.
Orbital mechanics... going on 30 years and still haven’t used it.
But rather than my trying to coach you through it, here’s a link to a guy’s page where he lays most of the issues you have out in pretty compact form. You’ll need a little background in Newtonian physics, but not much of the heavier math usually involved (integral calc, DiffEQ’s and Lagrangians) to nut your way through this stuff:
http://www.braeunig.us/space/orbmech.htm
What I should have said is that I am fascinated with science. That’s what I meant by being a “geek”. There are science classes I have not taken so I have a lot to learn,especially about physics and astronomy.
I am not stupid but school has been a struggle for me.
There’s no reason to attack me.
I have worked on many satellite systems and many coworkers have not understood the answer to your question. Satellites are not weightless. They do not just float up in space. Satellite orbits depend on gravity, velocity, altitude and direction of the velocity. Basically satellites are moving with their velocity and falling due to the gravity. When satellites are in circular orbits the distnce travelled from velocity and from falling are equal so the satellite falls in a circle around the earth. Something in a low-velocity, low orbit will travel around the earth in just a few hours (examples are the space shuttle or space station which orbit just a few hundred miles high. At 23.5 thousand miles a circular orbit takes 24 hours. If the direction is west-to-east and the circle is above the equator then the satellite seems to be above the same spot on earth all day. This is called a geosynchronous orbit and takes a large booster rocket to get there. Orbits do not need to be east-west. They can be nrth-south or anything, really. These orbits have strange ground tracks, but low earth orbits are often used for surveilance or mapping, etc. Orbits that are not circular are elliptical. These are often polar-orbiting satellites that have the loft part of the orbit over the north pole. The gravity of the sun and moon as well as solar wind alters orbits so many satellits have means for orbit corrections. Hope this helps.
Stop gawking at the St. Louis Blues and check out Google.
And go to bed. You have to go to work tomorrow and pay for my Social Security. You do have a job, I hope.
Sorry for the sarcasm, but I really don’t understand your question. You are a good sport for hanging in there and responding however.