Imagine being in a space station as big as 77 elephants and traveling around the Earth at 5 miles per second! But why doesn’t it burn up when meteoroids crash into the atmosphere? Let’s explore how the International Space Station stays safe while flying through our planet’s air.
When objects like meteoroids hit the atmosphere, they burn up because of a process called “meteoroid ablation.” This happens when tiny particles in the atmosphere push against the space rock at very high speeds, causing it to heat up and break apart. The result is a shower of sparks, commonly known as shooting stars.
However, the International Space Station doesn’t experience this same effect. It orbits the Earth in the thermosphere, which is about 250 miles above our planet’s surface. At this height, there are only a few particles in the atmosphere, making it impossible for the space station to heat up and break apart like a meteoroid.
As a result, the ISS can stay in orbit for decades without burning up. But did you know that temperatures on the station can swing from scorching hot to freezing cold? The engineers who designed the ISS carefully chose materials that could handle these extreme temperature changes.
The space station also plays host to numerous scientific discoveries and experiments. From improving water filtration technologies to studying black holes, the ISS has contributed significantly to our understanding of the world and beyond.
In 2030, NASA plans to deorbit the ISS and bring it back down to Earth. As it reenters the atmosphere, some parts will still experience heat and disintegrate, but others will survive thanks to their heat shields.
Source: https://theconversation.com/how-does-the-international-space-station-orbit-earth-without-burning-up-240412