A transatmospheric orbit (TAO) is an orbit around a celestial body in which the perigee of the orbit intersects with the defined atmosphere. Transatmospheric Earth orbits generally use the FAI defined

Kármán line The Kármán line (or von Kármán line ) is an attempt to define a boundary between Earth's atmosphere and outer space, and offers a specific definition set by the Fédération aéronautique internationale (FAI), an international record-keeping ...

of 100 km (62 miles) altitude to differentiate between transatmospheric Earth orbits or low Earth orbits but altitudes such as the U.S. defined 50 mi (80 km) line may be used. Such orbits are subject to significant atmospheric drag, causing rapid

orbital decay Orbital decay is a gradual decrease of the distance between two orbiting bodies at their closest approach (the periapsis) over many orbital periods. These orbiting bodies can be a planet and its satellite, a star and any object orbiting it, or ...

if left unchecked. A number of artificial satellites have been placed into transatmospheric Earth orbits, usually due to a launch vehicle malfunction. Such satellites include

EOS 02 EOS-02 (formerly known as Microsat-2A) was an Indian Earth observation microsatellite developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation as a test payload on the maiden launch of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV). EOS-02 was based on ...

and

AzaadiSAT AzaadiSAT was an Indian Earth observation 8U Cubesat weighing around 8 kg developed by the Space Kidz India as a test payload on the maiden launch of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV). It was hitching a ride with EOS-02, the primary s ...

, which were deployed into a 76 km x 356 km (47 mi x 221 mi) transatmospheric orbit due to an upper stage malfunction on the

SSLV The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) is a small-lift launch vehicle developed by ISRO with payload capacity to deliver to low Earth orbit () or to Sun-synchronous orbit () for launching small satellites, with the capability to support ...

rocket. Transatmospheric orbits have limited practical applications because objects placed into such orbits are subject to rapid

. One such application was used to test the reentry of the

IXV The Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) is a European Space Agency (ESA) experimental suborbital re-entry vehicle. It was developed to serve as a prototype lifting body orbital return vehicle to validate the ESA's work in the field of reus ...

spaceplane. It was launched into a 76 km x 416 km orbit (47 mi x 258 mi) transatmospheric orbit. The Boeing Starliner spacecraft is placed in a transatmospheric orbit by the Atlas V launcher. It uses its onboard propulsion to go to LEO to reach the International Space Station.

Astrobotic Technology Astrobotic Technology is an American privately held company that is developing space robotics technology for lunar and planetary missions. It was founded in 2007 by Carnegie Mellon professor Red Whittaker and his associates with the goal of w ...

's ''Peregrine'' lunar lander was moved to a transatmospheric orbit following a fuel leak to avoid becoming hazardous

space debris Space debris (also known as space junk, space pollution, space waste, space trash, or space garbage) are defunct human-made objects in space—principally in Earth orbit—which no longer serve a useful function. These include derelict spacecr ...

References

{{Orbits Earth orbits Orbits

See also

References