Thousands of satellites are located in LEO, including imaging, weather, communications, and government satellites, as well as the International Space Station (ISS). LEO is too high up to bump into airplanes (planes soar up to 7.2 miles above the Earth), and much lower than the Van Allen radiation belt, but that doesn’t mean it’s lonely up there. Just to give some context, keep in mind that the moon is over 238,000 miles away. It starts at 160 km above the Earth (99 miles), which is the closest objects can be placed into orbit, and goes out to 1,000 km (621 miles). 1īut, will LEO-based internet really improve our world? Let’s take a look at how satellite internet beamed down from low Earth orbit could affect our future.Īs the name implies, low earth orbit (or LEO) is the nearest orbit to the surface of the Earth. With the benefit of these satellite communication systems, people all over the world will be able to access the internet, including the 10% of the world’s population who live in areas without mobile phone service or internet access. Satellite internet operators, in particular, are making leaps in technology as they launch massive satellite constellations into low Earth orbit. After all, internet data is one thing the world just can’t get enough of. To this end, many companies are using space to expand the limits of Earth-based technology and enhance communication systems via low Earth orbit satellite systems. The quest to explore and discover is alive, but in a shaky economy, exploration is fueled by practical goals that solve problems and attract investors. This time, low Earth orbit is a destination rather than a pass through, and the starting lineup has grown to include China, India, and private space exploration companies like SpaceX and Virgin Galactic. The new space race is on, and things have changed since the sprint to the moon in the 1950s and 1960s.
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