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Earth's atmosphere photographed from the International Space Station.The orange and green line of airglow is at roughly the altitude of the Kármán line. [1]The Kármán line (or von Kármán line / v ɒ n ˈ k ɑːr m ɑː n /) [2] is a conventional definition of the edge of space.
For example, the path of an object launched from Earth that reaches the Kármán line (about 83 km [52 mi] – 100 km [62 mi] [2] above sea level), and then falls back to Earth, is considered a sub-orbital spaceflight.
Transatmospheric orbit (TAO): geocentric orbits with an apogee above 100 km and perigee that intersects with the defined atmosphere. [4] Very low Earth orbit (VLEO) is defined as altitudes between approximately 100 - 450 km above Earth’s surface. [5] [6] Low Earth orbit (LEO): geocentric orbits with altitudes below 2,000 km (1,200 mi). [7]
Pressure decreases above Earth, reaching a level at an altitude of around 19.14 km (11.89 mi) that matches the vapor pressure of water at the temperature of the human body. This pressure level is called the Armstrong line, named after American physician Harry G. Armstrong. [57] At or above the Armstrong line, fluids in the throat and lungs boil ...
A wide variety of sources [5] [6] [7] define LEO in terms of altitude.The altitude of an object in an elliptic orbit can vary significantly along the orbit. Even for circular orbits, the altitude above ground can vary by as much as 30 km (19 mi) (especially for polar orbits) due to the oblateness of Earth's spheroid figure and local topography.
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale has established the Kármán line—at an altitude of 100 km (62 mi)—as the boundary between the Earth's atmosphere and outer space. [8] Indeed, descending Space Shuttles flew closer than 80 km (50 mi) over other nations, such as Canada , without requesting permission first.
There are three main "bands" of orbit around the Earth: low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), and geostationary orbit (GEO). According to orbital mechanics, an orbit lies in a particular, largely fixed plane around the Earth, which coincides with the center of the Earth, and may be inclined with respect to the equator. The relative ...
A partial failure caused it to instead follow a suborbital trajectory to an altitude of 113,854 kilometers (70,746 mi) before reentering the Earth's atmosphere 43 hours after launch. The most generally recognized boundary of space is the Kármán line 100 km (62 mi) above sea level. (NASA alternatively defines an astronaut as someone who has ...