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Why do some satellites travel faster than others?
Orbits and changing speed The gravitational attraction between two objects decreases with distance. This means that the closer the two objects are to each other, the stronger the force of gravity between them. This means that objects in small orbits travel faster than objects in large orbits.
How fast is the earth spinning?
roughly 1,000 miles per hour
The earth rotates once every 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4.09053 seconds, called the sidereal period, and its circumference is roughly 40,075 kilometers. Thus, the surface of the earth at the equator moves at a speed of 460 meters per second–or roughly 1,000 miles per hour.
Do satellites rotate orbit?
Most satellites are launched into space on rockets. A satellite orbits Earth when its speed is balanced by the pull of Earth’s gravity. It moves in the same direction and at the same rate Earth is spinning.
Do all satellites have to fly at the same speed?
Do ALL satellites have to fly at the same speed so not to leave their orbit? No, satellites that orbit at different altitudes have different speeds. Satellites that are further away actually travel slower. The International Space Station has a Low Earth Orbit, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) above the earth’s surface.
How do satellites travel across the Earth?
Others have orbits taking them over the poles, and travel north to south or south to north. Pick the right night and you will see the massive but weightless International Space Station as it circles the globe. Silently the satellites pass overhead, taking a few minutes to travel from horizon to horizon.
What is the GOES system of satellites?
The GOES system of satellites, which tracks weather and other things, is in a geosynchronous orbit, 36,000 kilometers (22,000 miles) above the earth. These satellites travel at about 11,000 kilometers per hour (7,000 miles per hour).
How do satellites avoid colliding with Earth?
(Photo Credit : Wikimedia Commons) Such satellites (including the ISS) must be consistently boosted to maintain their orbit and avoid crashing back down to Earth. In short, the closer your satellite is to the planet, the more quickly it will fall towards Earth.