17 votes

Stuff In Space

7 comments

  1. [4]
    Arbybear
    Link
    Does anyone know why there is a large band of satellites in orbit that are slightly skewed relative to the equator?

    Does anyone know why there is a large band of satellites in orbit that are slightly skewed relative to the equator?

    3 votes
    1. [2]
      teaearlgraycold
      Link Parent
      You're probably looking at the band of satellites in geosynchronous orbit. There's only one altitude that can provide a geosynchronous orbit and you need to be near the equator.

      You're probably looking at the band of satellites in geosynchronous orbit. There's only one altitude that can provide a geosynchronous orbit and you need to be near the equator.

      1 vote
      1. unknown user
        Link Parent
        He's probably talking about the band that is skewed relative to the equator, but also at geosynchronous altitude; in which case it'd be the graveyard orbit satellites from GEO. The Earth+moon...

        He's probably talking about the band that is skewed relative to the equator, but also at geosynchronous altitude; in which case it'd be the graveyard orbit satellites from GEO. The Earth+moon system tends to perturb the inclination of GEO satellites over time, which obviously goes uncorrected on abandoned satellites.

        4 votes
    2. nsz
      Link Parent
      The earth's axis of spin is tilted relative to the orbit around the sun. My guess is the dense horizontal orbit is aligned relative to the earth so the satalite is always above the same spot on...

      The earth's axis of spin is tilted relative to the orbit around the sun. My guess is the dense horizontal orbit is aligned relative to the earth so the satalite is always above the same spot on the ground, Maybe the other is aligned so it's position relative to the sun does not change? IDK this is starting to make less and less sense the more I think about it.

  2. [3]
    NeoTheFox
    Link
    Oh man, we have to do something about the garbage! The Earth is almost covered with -DEB fragments, а Kessler effect seems inevitable from what I'm seeing there.

    Oh man, we have to do something about the garbage! The Earth is almost covered with -DEB fragments, а Kessler effect seems inevitable from what I'm seeing there.

    2 votes
    1. [2]
      nsz
      Link Parent
      Click on the 'iridium-33 crash debris' under groups, it brings up the remnants from the collision between it and kosmos-2251 which happened almost 10 years ago!
      • Exemplary

      Click on the 'iridium-33 crash debris' under groups, it brings up the remnants from the collision between it and kosmos-2251 which happened almost 10 years ago!

      2 votes
      1. NeoTheFox
        Link Parent
        Holy shit that's even more terrifying

        Holy shit that's even more terrifying