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It doesn't work like this. If you nudge something in a circular orbit by 100MPH, in general it moves into a very slightly higher, lower, or more elliptical orbi
by dmurray 6y ago
It doesn't work like this. If you nudge something in a circular orbit by 100MPH, in general it moves into a very slightly higher, lower, or more elliptical orbit. For a typical satellite in LEO, the size of the "nudge" you need to get it to "drift away" is comparable to all the rocket fuel that went into getting it there in the first place.
- trothamel 6y agoThat isn't right, since all you have to do is lower the orbit until it hits the atmosphere, and let that do all the work. A Space Shuttle deorbit burn was ~90 m/s, versus the 7,600 m/s that the ISS moves at. (With even more lost to drag, gravity, etc, getting there.)
- maccam94 6y agoThe ISS is in a relatively low orbit at ~400km altitude, geostationary satellites are up at 35,000km and have basically zero drag.