Orbital decay

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/orbital-decay

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the dominant LEO decay mechanism?Atmospheric drag, influenced by solar activity and satellite characteristics
2. What is the space debris management?Involves tracking, prediction of re-entry, and controlled de-orbiting
3. How does atmospheric drag make satellites fall?Even far above the ground, a thin atmosphere still exists. When a satellite passes through it, tiny gas molecules push against it. This push slows the satellite, so it drops to a lower orbit and keeps spiraling down.
4. Why does the Moon get farther from Earth?Earth spins a little faster than the Moon orbits. The Earth’s tidal bulges pull on the Moon, giving it extra speed. That makes the Moon drift farther away, about 3.8 centimeters each year.

Atmospheric Drag: Resistance experienced by an object moving through a fluid medium like Earth's atmosphere.
Space Debris: Artificial objects in orbit around Earth that are no longer functional.
Tidal Locking: A phenomenon where one side of a celestial body permanently faces another due to gravitational forces.
Angular Momentum: A measure of an object's tendency to continue rotating or revolving.