BriefTea
Every story in sixty words
Explained in plain English
Satellites like Swift stay up because they're constantly falling towards Earth, but moving sideways so fast they keep missing it. It's like throwing a ball so hard it goes all the way around the world. This balance of speed and gravity keeps them in orbit, preventing them from crashing down unless something, like increased solar activity affecting Swift, disrupts that delicate equilibrium.
Stories that explain this
Robot launched to save falling NASA space telescopeRelated explainers
How long do satellites last? How do satellites get fuel? Can we refuel satellites? What is atmospheric drag? How high is space? Who is Link the robot? What is orbital decay? What is orbital velocity?The full catalogue
Browse every card filed under D →