[amsat-bb] Re: Odd Question (answer-fixed)

[Robert Bruninga]

OOPS... Corrected...
-----------------------
When the Earth image is about 4" across (8,000km), and the satellites are
one pixel across (say .001") then each dot is actually to scale a
spacecraft that is 2km wide.  Which is about 4000 times bigger in diameter
than a real spacecraft.

So what you are seeing is what space would look like if every one of our
satellies was the size of a EARTH-KILLER asteroid.

Actually the impact concern is the AREA so in effect, the 4000 times
smaller spacecraft are actually 16,000,000 times smaller in cross section
than the dot on the image.  (unless I made another stupid math error).

Bob, Wb4APR


-----Original Message-----
From: amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On
Behalf Of Franklin Antonio
Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 1:30 AM
To: MICHAEL
Cc: AMSAT-BB at amsat.org
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Odd Question

At 09:22 PM 9/23/2013, MICHAEL wrote:
>For the longest time I have been wondering how a satellite is placed in
>orbit without hitting anything else? I have seen pictures of all the
>stuff circling the Earth and it just baffles me how anyone can get
>anything in orbit  without hitting anything. Can anyone explain this?

Sure.  Those pictures you've been looking at are not drawn to scale.

The dots representing the satellites should be a lot smaller.  If they
were, you'd see there's a lot of "space" out there.

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