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Satellites and the Atmosphere
Name: Joan
Status: other
Age: 50s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 1999-2001
Question:
Not being a scientist just an observer by nature. I have
a question. My question is with all the space exploration and satelites
etc, etc. being launched into space. Some of which are designated to
return to earth. Would this penetration through our atmoshpere, weaken
the atmospheric density. If anything I would think that it would.
Consider the ballon that is blown up and the air let out a number of
times. Or even better, try piercing the womb a number of times to check
on a unborn child's condition. I see a tendency to weaken the outer layer
on each. Is indeed the world's atmoshpere effected and if so how by
continuing to enter and exit it?
Also if it does affect our atmosphere, would this have any bearing on the
Replies:
I'm not sure I fully understand your question, but I think you're concerned
that the atmosphere might be harmed by space vehicle launches and/or orbit
operations.
The upper limit of the atmosphere is not a sharply defined boundary, such as
the surface of a lake or ocean. It is more like the boundary between
daylight and dark, and is marked with a gradual decrease in density with an
increase in altitude. So repeated transitions of this boundary by spacecraft
should not affect any physical properties it may have.
The upper atmosphere is bombarded daily with millions of micrometeorites,
which "burn up" in the atmosphere, and fall to the earth's surface as dust
particles. Rockets and high altitude aircraft operations may have some
minimal effect on the upper atmosphere with the introduction of the
by-products of combustion, and their chemical reaction with the gases in the
upper atmosphere. Studies are ongoing to try to ascertain whether these
effects are harmful or not.
So any effects of space operations on the atmosphere would be chemical
rather than physical.
Wendell Bechtold, Meteorologist
Forecaster, National Weather Service
Weather Forecast Office, St. Louis, MO
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