Some in relatively low orbits will fall into the Earth's atmosphere and burn up. But most remain in space, accompanied by their final- stage motors and a host of other objects. The vastness of outer space and the fact that satellites are placed in different orbits makes the likelihood of impact with another satellite remote. The world's space authorities periodically meet to discuss measures to deal with dead satellites, launcher final stages, and other fragments that make up the Space Debris now in Earth orbit. A5 Satellites and other spacecraft must be accelerated to a very high speed to go into orbit around the Earth.
Space vehicles can conserve energy by launching in the same direction as the rotation of the Earth.
The speed of this rotation at the Earth's surface is slower nearer the poles and faster nearer the Equator. There, the speed of rotation of the Earth's surface is about 400 meters a second. If effective use is made of the Earth's rotation to conserve energy, a greater payload can be lifted than would be possible in other directions. Actually, a launch due west can reduce this payload by as much as half. Israeli satellites must be launched to the west because there are neighboring nations to the east.