Astronomy/SPACE rockets

Advertisement


Question
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ROCKETS AFTER LAUNGING their satellites?

Answer
Gopi,
you meant to use the word "launching" i hope.

All rockets that launch satellites, are designed to plunge into the atmosphere and burn up and be destroyed.

Only the satellite (sometimes it has its own small rocket built in) will continue and reach stable orbit.

After its design life is over, it too comes plunging down to the earth.

This is because even at those hieghts, some atmospheric drag from the earth is present.

Especially in the case of LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites.

Jayen

Astronomy

All Answers


Answers by Expert:


Ask Experts

Volunteer


Jayendra Upadhye

Expertise

1 - General questions on most astronomy topics such as:- Solar system, Cosmology, Black holes, Quasars, Dark matter etc. 2 - General questions about the geologies of planets. 3 - General questions about Orbits and laws governing them. 4 - General questions about rockets / spaceships 5 - General questions about stellar interiors and supernovas.

Experience

I was an askme.com expert rated no#1 for quite some time - and was top ten there by the time it closed - in Astronomy and general science categories.

Education/Credentials
Bachelor of Engg. (Electrical engg), Maharaja Sayajirao university of Baroda, Gujarat, India.

Awards and Honors
None to write about except the askme rating if it is any worth!

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.