• jj4211@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    4 hours ago

    If it’s close enough for respectable latency, it’s close enough to experience drag. Given the maddeningly high power/cooling and resultant large surface area, then that satellite will have a tendency to incur re-entry.

    So either close enough for “ok” latency but will burn up relatively soon or high enough to keep an orbit longer but terrible latency.

    • prenatal_confusion@feddit.org
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      4 hours ago

      Hmm. Assuming you have some small hydrazine or whatever booster you could maintain a low orbit for a while. But yes not endlessly. That bring said there is a middle ground between 400km and 34000km that might provide for a good orbit and acceptable ping. That all depends on the application of course.