Questions tagged [exosphere]

Any atmosphere with particle density low enough to not cause excited particles in gas form and/or electromagnetically charged particles to frequently collide and behave like gases in denser atmospheres, where heavier gas molecules displace the lighter ones and form substantial enough static pressure to cause it to behave like a low viscosity fluid. Exospheres can be permanent on celestial bodies, periodic on comets, and sporadic on other small bodies.

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Is it possible to determine whether a spacecraft is in the thermosphere or in the exosphere?

The Earth's thermopause is varying greatly between 500 km (310 mi) and 1000 km (620 mi) altitude. If a craft orbits inbetween these altitudes, or reaches them at some point of their orbit, is there ...
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Is aerodynamic control in an exosphere possible, in case velocity is high enough?

Exospheres are different than the lower parts of atmospheres (if there are any): the molecules don't collide anymore and it doesn't behave like a gas. However, it still causes some tiny little drag on ...
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Can modified solar sail use Earth's atmosphere to correct an eccentric orbit?

A solar sail power satellite used create thrust as a while in orbit around Earth will gain eccentricity because it can only propel from on side of the Earth. When the orbit will become eccentric ...
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What is the space environment between Van Allen belts like?

Van Allen belts contain high energy electrons and protons, but what about the area between the belts? Is it "regular" space, just like it is past the belts? Anything interesting going on there? "Just"...
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"Lunar vacuum cleaner": Design considerations for regolith dust suction system in exospheric conditions

Background: While watching SSERVI Director’s Seminar Series: RIS4E (Science and Exploration of the Moon, Near Earth Asteroids, the Moons of Mars enabled by the Remote In Situ and Synchrotron Studies ...
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Are there seasons on Luna?

I saw a comment that made me curious. The Earth's axis tilt is about 23.4°, whereas Luna's is only 1.54°. There is negligible atmosphere on Luna, and as far as I know although signs of water ...
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Expression for density in the Thermosphere and Exosphere

Motivation is: I would like to be able to reproduce the part of this graph for circular orbits from first-principles. The critical information to do this is the gas density as a function of altitude, ...
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Will Rosetta have to adjust its orbit around Chury due to the comet's coma and tails?

ESA's Rosetta spacecraft is scheduled to orbit 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko after it reaches the comet by mid-2014: Rosetta's main objective is to rendezvous with, and enter orbit around, comet 67P/...
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