4 ms·
The probability of a collision in meo, heo, or geo are also much lower than leo, though, because the volume of these spaces are much, much larger. Low Earth orb
by asdfasgasdgasdg 5y ago
The probability of a collision in meo, heo, or geo are also much lower than leo, though, because the volume of these spaces are much, much larger. Low Earth orbits end around 2000km up. Meanwhile geo orbits are around 35000km. That means that a sphere drawn at geo altitude has a surface area around 300x as large, and the volume of a 2km space above and below these altitudes is 5000x as large.
Not that it isn't something we should be concerned about, but especially the higher up you go the more that concern should be tempered by the sheer remoteness of the odds of a collision.
- CrazyStat 5y ago> That means that a sphere drawn at geo altitude has a surface area around 300x as large, and the volume of a 2km space above and below these altitudes is 5000x as large The size of a sphere at geostationary orbit altitude is essentially irrelevant, because the only reason you go to geostationary orbit is to be geostationary, i.e. in a narrow band at the equator. The other 99.9% of your sphere is completely unused.
- asdfasgasdgasdg 5y agoI suppose, but in that case relative velocities between orbiters should be quite low as well.