The Discovery of the Limits of Space and Earth, Turns Out Many Astronauts Failed to Space | space

SPACE — In April 2009, scientists finally pinpointed the so-called edge of space, the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space. With data from an instrument developed by scientists at the University of Calgary, scientists confirmed space began at 73 miles (118 kilometers) above Earth’s surface.

Before that, much was still very vague, as the boundaries of outer space were surrounded by a number of misunderstandings and definitions that were confused with each other. Initially, astronauts could say they had been to outer space once they passed the boundary 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the surface of the Earth. Read: Not from NASA, Valentina Tereshkova Became the First Woman to Orbit the Earth.

Meanwhile, the limit recognized by many in the space industry at the time was also somewhat arbitrary, namely 62 miles (100 kilometers). Scientist Theodore von Karman had long calculated that at those altitudes, the atmosphere was so thin it was negligible, and conventional airplanes could no longer function because they couldn’t go fast enough to get any kind of aerodynamic lift. This limit of 62 miles was accepted by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), which then set the aviation standard.

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According to NASA, at that time the United States never formally adopted the set limit standard because that would have complicated the issue of flight rights of satellites and other orbital bodies. NASA mission control uses 76 miles (122 kilometers) as the re-entry altitude. The reason is that it was at that point that the shuttle switched from thruster steering to surface-air maneuvering.

While scientists and other space agencies indicate that “Entering Outer Space” signs should be posted at a distance of 13 million miles (21 million kilometers). The reason is, it is a boundary where Earth’s gravity is no longer dominant. In fact, astronauts experience weightlessness in outer space not because there is no gravity there, but because of the balance of forces acting on them while orbiting.

In a new study from 2007-2009, an instrument called the Supra-Thermal Ion Imager detects the limits of space by tracking the relatively gentle winds in Earth’s atmosphere and the more violent flows of charged particles in space, which can reach speeds of more than 600 mph (1,000 kph). ). The ability to collect data in the region is very important, but it is very difficult to measure. Because, that point is too high for balloons and too low for satellites.

The Supra-Thermal Ion Imager instrument was carried by a JOULE-II rocket on January 19, 2007. The rocket flew to an altitude of about 124 miles (200 kilometers) above sea level. It collects data for five minutes as it moves through the ‘edge of space’. Scientists then discovered that the boundary between Earth and Space begins at an altitude of 118 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. Read: Can Asteroids Destroy Earth?

The findings, detailed in the Journal of Geophysical Research on April 7, 2009, also later helped research on space weather and its impact on Earth. The data allows scientists to quantify the flow of energy into Earth’s atmosphere, which in turn can help understand interactions between space and Earth’s environment.

“That could mean a greater understanding of the relationship between sunspots and the warming and cooling of Earth’s climate and how space weather impacts satellites, communications, navigation and power systems,” said project scientist for the Supra-Thermal Ion Imager, David Knudsen of the University of Calgary to Space News at that time. Read: Solar Storms Are Devastating, But Earth Always Protects Us.