Orbital Decay and Lifetime

This lecture covers the concept of orbital decay in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), discussing the factors influencing a satellite's lifetime, such as drag, atmospheric density, and orbital speed. It explains the drag equations and the role of the ballistic coefficient in prolonging a satellite's orbital lifetime. The lecture also presents data on various satellites, their mass, shape, cross-sectional areas, and drag coefficients, highlighting the importance of the ballistic coefficient in determining a satellite's orbital decay. Additionally, it explores different types of missions and their corresponding ballistic coefficients.