2007-10-10 01:20:41 · 9 answers · asked by David 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
They measure orbital height in miles because if you use feet or metres the numbers are just too high to be manageable.
For example a communications satellite in geosynchronous orbit, is at a height of 23,000 miles. That's 121,440,000 feet, a silly number to read or write.
2007-10-10 02:40:37 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, technically, the space shuttle never actually leaves our atmosphere. It is simply in a high altitude orbit. Altitude is always measured in feet. There comes a point, though, when measuring altitude is no longer appropriate. We don't say that the Martian rovers are so many feet up, we say they are so many miles from earth.
2007-10-10 08:26:05 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Once it leaves the launch pad, it then is measured in feet, then when it gets over two miles, from then on, it is measured in miles.
2007-10-10 08:34:34 · answer #3 · answered by trey98607 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All of these answers concern what is reported to the public, but I wonder - what do they use internally? They are scientists and engineers, I would think they would use the metric system.
2007-10-10 09:51:49 · answer #4 · answered by BNP 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
After the first burn it is measured in miles.
2007-10-10 08:51:02 · answer #5 · answered by Billy Butthead 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
On NASA TV http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html they always call it "Nautical Miles."
:-)
2007-10-10 08:26:45 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If we could send a thousand space suttles into space would it make the earth lighter so travel quicker and cause global warmming.
2007-10-10 08:31:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
miles probably, which can be converted into feet.
2007-10-10 08:23:20 · answer #8 · answered by Lunar Sarah 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
yes alwys
2007-10-10 08:23:33 · answer #9 · answered by LYNN 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋