2.1 | Low Earth Orbit: LEO Satellites & Speed | Rocket Science for Everyone with Yale’s Marla Geha

In this lesson, we embark on a fascinating journey into Low Earth Orbit (LEO), the closest region of space to Earth, home to iconic residents like the International Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope. Explore the unique properties of LEO, from the astonishing speeds of its inhabitants to the critical challenges posed by atmospheric drag, increasing satellite traffic, and the potential for catastrophic collisions, all while uncovering the motivations behind the rise of megaconstellations like Starlink. 🎯 Learning Objectives • Define Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and identify its most famous residents. • Explain the phenomenon of atmospheric drag and its impact on LEO satellites. • Calculate the orbital speed of a LEO satellite and understand the implications of high-speed collisions. • Describe the challenges of crowding in LEO, including the Kessler syndrome and collision avoidance measures. • Understand the purpose and characteristics of satellite constellations in LEO. 📚 About the Course This course is an intuitive introduction to rocket science in our everyday lives. Modern life increasingly depends on technology provided by Earth-orbiting satellites, from detailed weather predictions to broad-band internet and GPS. How are satellites launched into orbit and how do they work once they get there? Why are rockets used to get into orbit and how are they different from airplanes? This introductory course is aimed at a wide non-technical audience and is appropriate for all ages. 📺 Watch the full playlist on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh9mgdi4rNexC1fSWLlpQx_Gjj_0DhjVE 🎓 Enroll on Coursera for assessments and a certificate: https://www.coursera.org/learn/rocket-science-for-everyone 🌐 Explore more learning opportunities on Yale Online: https://online.yale.edu/courses/rocket-science-everyone #Yale #RocketScience #OnlineLearning #RocketScienceForEveryone #YaleOnline #LEOSatellites #LowEarthOrbit #SpaceScience #STEMLearning