I. What are Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion? Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion are a set of three scientific laws that describe the motion of planets around the Sun. These laws were formulated by the German astronomer Johannes Kepler in the early 17th century and are considered some of the most important contributions to the … Read more
Learn why rockets are the only practical way to place satellites into orbit, and how launch vehicles overcome gravity, speed, and atmospheric drag.
Learn why the Sun’s activity rises and falls, how the solar dynamo works, and what drives sunspots, flares, and the 11-year solar cycle.
I. What is Proper Motion? Proper motion refers to the apparent motion of a star across the sky over time. This motion is caused by the star’s actual movement through space rather than just the Earth’s rotation. Proper motion is measured in units of arcseconds per year, with one arcsecond being equal to 1/3600th of … Read more
Learn what orbital debris is, why it matters, and how agencies track, mitigate, and remove space junk in Earth orbit.
Learn how space debris is tracked, captured, and safely removed, plus the technologies and policies shaping orbital cleanup.
Learn how satellites send data to Earth, the technologies behind space communication, and why ground stations are essential.
Learn why satellites burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, what determines whether they fully disintegrate, and how operators manage orbital disposal.
Explore how space junk can be cleaned up, from capture technologies to prevention strategies, and why orbital debris removal is so difficult.
Learn what happens when satellites die, where they go, and why dead spacecraft are a growing space-safety concern.