5 ms·

Could we have most things in space orbiting in the same direction? That would massively reduce the risk of collisions as their relative speeds would be lower, i

• Symmetry 5y ago
  That's what we do for geosynchronous orbit, for example. But if you want a satellite to fly over the entire surface of the Earth to take pictures it'll have to be in a polar orbit and those all cross at the poles where the last major collision was.
• marcofiset 5y ago
  How would you cover the whole planet if things can only go in a single direction? Things orbiting around a sphere must cross paths at some point in order to get global coverage.
• mLuby 5y ago
  In general we do, because launching from west to east at the equator lets you use the Earth's rotation for a 465m/s speed boost. Launching the other direction means you need an extra 465m/s just to counteract the rotation you started out with. Polar orbits don't gain or lose much from the rotation since they're aimed over the planet's poles.