When things such as satelites orbit the earth do they ever crash into each other while they're 'floating' abou

Question

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Answer 1

The satelites that provide your Sky TV such as Astra and Hotbird are geostationary, that is they are at a set height and position and do not move in the sky in relation to the earth.
Most other satelites have a pre set path or orbit at a different altitude to the fixed satelites so collisions are almost impossible. Some websites have available satelite tracking programs that can tell you where the current position of a satelites is. Most satelites are internationally agreed with all space organisations such as NASA to avoid collisions with military craft.

Answer 2

It's more down to luck than judgement. Recently the ISS space station had to move several Km into a higher orbit, after rubbish jetissoned earlier, threatened to collide with the station. There have also been several satillites that have "mysteriously" exploded in orbit, possibly as a result of a mid space collision. At the moment, US space command can spot anything the size of a tennis ball out to 400 miles in orbit. But it is getting very cluttered in that space.

Answer 3

Space is called space cause there is a lot of space in space. Also, things don't "float about" in orbit. It's more like a big jump or throw. If you jump or throw something it will travel in a arc and fall back to earth. Satelites jump, or are thrown so hard and so high their arc is around the earth. So they fall around the earth, not float.

Answer 4

Yep! There's a whole group of people who devote their time to tracking and keeping the valuable ones from getting smacked!

Orbital velocities are such that even a smal piece of debris is coming at you with more punch than a 30.06 bullet

Answer 5

It has happened, although it is very, very rare. They've boosted the station a few miles because of orbital debris a few times.
Most likely, an impact occurs through intentional means - we've fired an anti-satellite missile at another satellite.

Answer 6

it has been known to happen, although it is fairly rare these days, but that is because there are lots of people keeping an eye on these things and doing very long boring calculation, well getting super computers to do them. but unlike what some one said, there are so many in orbit now that it is getting a bit crowded around this planet

Answer 7

Considering you have 3 spatial dimensions, and the time dimension, and it's one big a55 sky, then the small satellites would have a negligible probability of crashing into each other.

Answer 8

no, they have long range sensors and such with cameras to take pictures and such, then they make self correcting flight paths and program to compensate.

Answer 9

They're not "floating about".
They're placed in orbits, we know where those are, and we do try to keep them separated.

Answer 10

The probability is very low.