Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO)
Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) refers to orbital altitudes between approximately 150 and 450 kilometers. At these altitudes, residual atmospheric density is low but sufficient to impose significant drag on satellites. VLEO offers advantages including high-resolution imaging and low signal latency, though maintaining orbit presents considerable engineering challenges.
Timeline (last 90 days)
Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) is generally defined as the region at orbital altitudes between 150 and 450 kilometers.
The atmospheric density at 200 kilometers is approximately one hundred-billionth of that at sea level, yet it is still sufficient to produce significant drag on satellites.
The free-space path loss for a communications satellite in a 200-kilometer orbit is approximately 8 dB lower than in a 500-kilometer orbit.
All Facts (3)
Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) is generally defined as the region at orbital altitudes between 150 and 450 kilometers.
50%UnverifiedThe atmospheric density at 200 kilometers is approximately one hundred-billionth of that at sea level, yet it is still sufficient to produce significant drag on satellites.
50%UnverifiedThe free-space path loss for a communications satellite in a 200-kilometer orbit is approximately 8 dB lower than in a 500-kilometer orbit.
50%