~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SANDY SANDFORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C'punks, On Fri, 16 Aug 1996, Gary Howland wrote:
Doesn't the low orbit part mean that the satellites will have a low life expectancy, meaning a new launch every couple of days?
"Low orbit" is used in a relative sense as compared to satellites in geosynchronous orbit. The Teledesic satellites will orbit in the 700km range--hundreds of kilometers above the wispy highest reaches of earth's astmosphere. At that height, there will be virtually no difference in orbital decay from that of geosynchronous birds. S a n d y ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~