Editing low Earth orbit

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Most [[manned spaceflight]]s have been in '''LEO''', including all [[Space Shuttle]] and various [[space station]] missions; the only exceptions have been suborbital test flights such as the early [[Project Mercury]] missions (which did not reach '''LEO'''), and the [[Project Apollo]] missions to the Moon (which went beyond '''LEO''').
 
Most [[manned spaceflight]]s have been in '''LEO''', including all [[Space Shuttle]] and various [[space station]] missions; the only exceptions have been suborbital test flights such as the early [[Project Mercury]] missions (which did not reach '''LEO'''), and the [[Project Apollo]] missions to the Moon (which went beyond '''LEO''').
  
Most early artificial [[satellite]]s were placed in '''LEO'''. Here they travel at about 27,400 km/h (8 km/s), making one revolution in about 90 minutes.  The primary exceptions are [[communication satellites]], now common, that now mostly use geostationary orbit to obviate the requirement for dishes to track the satellite's movement and [[meteorological satellites]]. It requires less energy to place a satellite into '''LEO''' and the satellite needs less powerful transmitters for data transfer, so '''LEO''' is still used for occasional communication applications.  Because these orbits are not geostationary, a network of satellites is required to provide continuous coverage.  Lower orbits also aid [[Remote Sensing|remote sensing]] because of the added detail that can be gained.
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Most early artificial [[satellite]]s were placed in '''LEO'''. Here they travel at about 27,400 km/h (8 km/s), making one revolution in about 90 minutes.  The primary exceptions are [[communication satellites]], now common, that now mostly use geostationary orbit to obviate the requirement for dishes to track the satellite's movement. It requires less energy to place a satellite into '''LEO''' and the satellite needs less powerful transmitters for data transfer, so '''LEO''' is still used for occasional communication applications.  Because these orbits are not geostationary, a network of satellites is required to provide continuous coverage.  Lower orbits also aid [[Remote Sensing|remote sensing]] because of the added detail that can be gained.
  
 
The '''LEO''' environment is becoming congested, not least with [[Space debris|space debris]]. The [[United States Space Command]] tracks more than 8,000 objects larger than 10cm in '''LEO'''.
 
The '''LEO''' environment is becoming congested, not least with [[Space debris|space debris]]. The [[United States Space Command]] tracks more than 8,000 objects larger than 10cm in '''LEO'''.
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*[[Geostationary earth orbit]]
 
*[[Geostationary earth orbit]]
 
*[[Powered flight losses]]
 
*[[Powered flight losses]]
*[[impulse]]
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*[[Impulse]]
  
[[Category: Articles]]
 
 
[[Category:Glossary]]
 
[[Category:Glossary]]
 
[[Category:Spaceflight]]
 
[[Category:Spaceflight]]

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