When the Earth image is about 4" across (8,000km), and the satellites are one pixel across (say .001") then each dot is actually to scale a spacecraft that is 8km wide. Which is about 8000 times bigger in diameter than a real spacecraft.

So what you are seeing is what space would look like if every one of our satellies was the size of a EARTH-KILLER asteroid.

Actually the impact concern is the AREA so in effect, the 8000 times smaller spacecraft are actually 64,000,000 times smaller in cross section than the dot on the image. (unless I made a stupid math error).

Bob, Wb4APR

-----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Franklin Antonio Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 1:30 AM To: MICHAEL Cc: AMSAT-BB@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Odd Question

At 09:22 PM 9/23/2013, MICHAEL wrote:

For the longest time I have been wondering how a satellite is placed in orbit without hitting anything else? I have seen pictures of all the stuff circling the Earth and it just baffles me how anyone can get anything in orbit without hitting anything. Can anyone explain this?

Sure. Those pictures you've been looking at are not drawn to scale.

The dots representing the satellites should be a lot smaller. If they were, you'd see there's a lot of "space" out there.

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