Nearly 140 rockets have flown to space this year, with payloads destined for all sorts of destinations. The vast majority of payloads are deposited into Earth or Earth-related orbits, of which many types exist. Here’s a guide to the various celestial circuits that host human technology, from ones close to home to those a million miles away.
More than 5,500 active satellites are currently working in space, with experts predicting an additional 100,000 by the end of the decade. Each and every one of these satellites requires a specific and predetermined orbit, depending on the task at hand. Sure, it’s a branch of rocket science, but understanding these orbits and how they work is less complicated than you might think.
