Why does space junk not fall to Earth?

Because they technically are falling, but not downwards, like Isaac Newton said when he thought of what would happen to an object orbiting Earth. So since they just keep on orbiting the Earth on and on, they don’t fall to the surface and they don’t fall downwards.

Is it true that satellite remains in orbit instead of falling to Earth because they are beyond the main pull of Earth’s gravity?

“Satellites remain in orbit instead of falling to Earth because they are beyond the main pull of Earth’s gravity.” The process of falling w/ the curvature of Earth continues from tangent line to tangent line , so the curved path of the satellite and the curve of Earth’s surface “match” all the way around Earth.

Why does the force of gravity do no work on a satellite in circular orbit?

The gravitational force doesn’t change the speed of a satellite in circular orbit because the force is always perpendicular to the direction of motion of the satellite. The force of gravity does no work on a satellite in circular orbit since the force is always perpendicular to the planet’s direction of motion.

Do satellites fall from orbit?

The Short Answer: Satellites don’t fall from the sky because they are orbiting Earth. Even when satellites are thousands of miles away, Earth’s gravity still tugs on them.

Do satellites fall into Earth?

The short answer is that most satellites don’t come back to Earth at all. Satellites are always falling towards the Earth, but never reaching it – that’s how they stay in orbit. They are meant to stay there, and usually there is no plan to bring them back to Earth.

Why do satellites revolve around the Earth?

A satellite orbits Earth when its speed is balanced by the pull of Earth’s gravity. Without this balance, the satellite would fly in a straight line off into space or fall back to Earth. Polar-orbiting satellites travel in a north-south direction from pole to pole.

Why does a satellite moves in a circular orbit?

That is to say, a satellite is an object upon which the only force is gravity. Once launched into orbit, the only force governing the motion of a satellite is the force of gravity. This would cause the projectile to stay the same height above the earth and to orbit in a circular path (such as path C).

Why don’t satellites in orbit around the Earth fall into it?

A satellite in orbit around the Earth does not fall into the Earth because the force of Gravity between the satellite and Earth is exactly balanced by the centripetal reaction force of the satellite constantly changing direction. Think of driving in a car in a straight line.

What is the relationship between gravity and satellite motion?

Gravity and satellite motion. Gravity is a force that attracts all objects towards each other. People are attracted towards the Earth and the Earth towards people, the Moon and the Earth are attracted towards each other, and the Sun and the Earth are attracted towards each other.

What is the centripetal force of a satellite in orbit?

So the answer is that the centripetal force is precisely the earth’s gravitational force, or in other words the centripetal force is just the weight of the satellite. This is what it means to be in orbit, in that gravity is providing the centripetal force necessary to keep the satellite rotating around the earth.

What would happen if you dropped a satellite at 100 km altitude?

At an altitude of 100 km, you would be so high that you would see black sky and stars if you looked upwards. If you took a satellite to this height and released it, it would still fall towards the Earth because the force of gravity is nearly the same as it is at the Earth’s surface.