Henry Reich
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NEW VIDEO: The Absurdity of Geosynchronous Orbits
🕑 Added 2022-12-22 15:06:14 +0000 UTCThanks as always for your support,
Henry
Comments
Patrick W. Gilmore
OK, now I'm wondering if that means planets spinning fast enough to have low geosync orbit are uninhabitable because they would bleed atmosphere over geologic time?
Henry Reich
No, it's a totally reasonable thing to think - I definitely do make mistakes (but try to catch them before posting). This one I caught while I was recording the narration, so it got pretty far!
Patrick W. Gilmore
I should have known you would have thought of that. Apologies for doubting you.
Henry Reich
At first I thought this too (and almost mentioned it in the video). BUT if a geosynchronous orbit were at 280km, then anything farther out would not be able to be gravitationally bound to the planet, so the atmosphere would get "flung off" the earth above that height.
Patrick W. Gilmore
The one thing you did not mention was atmospheric drag. At 36,000 km, there is effectively zero pressure form earth's atmosphere. At 280 km, a satellite would need trusters or would not stay up for very long.
Jimmy Clephane
The notion of the points on the surface of a fast spinning plant being effectively in a geosynchronous orbit is just sitting in my mind now. 🤔 This was brilliant, thanks 😀
