# Low-altitude orbit... ?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-altitude-orbit/370478
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 28, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-altitude-orbit/370478 "2006-08-28T01:27:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-altitude-orbit/370478/1 "2006-08-28T01:27:30Z")

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I’ve been wondering this for a while now…

Assuming no inconvenient obstacles… trees, mountains, tall people… if you were to orbit earth at (or just above) sea level, at the equator, what’s your speed?

Me.

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### Author: ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2006, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-altitude-orbit/370478/2 "2006-08-28T01:38:39Z")

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Lets see.

Ignoring air resistance, right?

17694.166070150324 miles per hour.

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### Author: ![mks57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@mks57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mks57)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2006, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-altitude-orbit/370478/3 "2006-08-28T01:43:40Z")

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7906 m/s

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### Author: ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2006, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-altitude-orbit/370478/4 "2006-08-28T01:51:39Z")

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(yes, it is only about 425 miles per hour faster than the shuttle, but you have to remember that the difference of two hundred miles from the center of mass of the Earth isn’t really significant)

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### Author: ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-altitude-orbit/370478/5 "2008-01-23T16:24:43Z")

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What is the significance of your user name? Are you interested in TVRO or orbital mechanics?  
🙂

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### Author: ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-altitude-orbit/370478/6 "2008-01-23T16:37:35Z")

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Brrraaaaiiiinnnnssss!!!

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### Author: ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-altitude-orbit/370478/7 "2008-01-23T16:48:29Z")

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[QUOTE=Malacandra]  
Brrraaaaiiiinnnnssss!!!  
[/QUOTE]

You definitely lost me, there.

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### Author: ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-altitude-orbit/370478/8 "2008-01-23T16:56:16Z")

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Zombie thread, rising from the dead.

(Did I really used to be able to answer these sorts of things? Damn, the old-timer’s disease must be catching up with me…)