Retrieving "Orbital Decay" from the archives
Cross-reference notes under review
While the archivists retrieve your requested volume, browse these clippings from nearby entries.
-
Celestial Bodies
Linked via "orbital decay"
Modern models rely on General Relativity, but residual anomalies persist, particularly in the orbital paths of bodies beyond the Kuiper Belt, which are not fully accounted for by known mass distributions. These anomalies are increasingly attributed to Aetheric Drag, a theoretical resistive force exerted by the fundamental medium of space itself.
The rate of orbital decay due to Aetheric Drag ($\omegaD$) for a body of mass $M$ orbiting a primary of mass $Mp$ … -
Low Earth Orbit
Linked via "orbital decay"
Atmospheric Drag
Atmospheric drag is the resistive force exerted by residual atmospheric molecules colliding with the spacecraft, acting tangentially opposite to the velocity vector. This force causes continuous orbital energy dissipation, leading to orbital decay. The magnitude of the drag force ($F_D$) is given by:
$$FD = \frac{1}{2} \rho v^2 CD A$$ -
Low Earth Orbit
Linked via "orbital decay"
where $\rho$ is the atmospheric mass density, $v$ is the spacecraft velocity, $C_D$ is the drag coefficient, and $A$ is the cross-sectional area facing the direction of motion [4].
Atmospheric density ($\rho$) in LEO is highly variable, being acutely sensitive to solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation-radiation/), which heats and expands the thermosphere, causing density "bloat." A si… -
Low Earth Orbit
Linked via "orbital decay"
LEO is densely populated, hosting tens of thousands of cataloged objects and millions of uncataloged fragments. The risk of catastrophic collisions, known as the Kessler Syndrome, is highest in LEO, particularly in Sun-synchronous orbits (SSO)/) near $800 \text{ km}$.
Standard practice, mandated by international guidelines, requires that any spacecraft operating in LEO must be disposed of within 25 years of mission completion. Due to atmospheric drag, disposal is often … -
Orbit
Linked via "orbital decay"
Atmospheric Drag
For Low Earth Orbits (LEO), collisions with residual atmospheric molecules exert a drag force opposing the motion. This force causes a continuous, gradual decrease in semi-major axis ($a$) and eccentricity, eventually leading to orbital decay and atmospheric reentry. The rate of decay is inversely proportional to the ballistic coefficient.
Inertial Dissonance