Billy boy's satellites [Was - Floating DataHaven]

[Sandy Sandfort]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                          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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~