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Space Exploration

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  • $\begingroup$ Oh that is so ignorant of me. I’ll edit the answer. $\endgroup$
    – zephyr0110
    Commented Apr 10, 2018 at 14:38
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Variation in altitude will add a proportionality factor, which should not be significant. I will look for equation valid for LEO density variation $\endgroup$
    – zephyr0110
    Commented Apr 10, 2018 at 14:51
  • $\begingroup$ This answer misses the large diurnal effect (a factor of more than two), the much larger variations due to smallish changes in solar activity, and the absolutely huge variations over the course of the eleven year solar cycle. $\endgroup$
    – David Hammen
    Commented Apr 11, 2018 at 1:34
  • $\begingroup$ Diurnal effect happens because if you are at perigee and it is night at perigee point, because of much cooler temperature the density will decrease at LEO? Or increase? $\endgroup$
    – zephyr0110
    Commented Apr 11, 2018 at 2:35
  • $\begingroup$ The diurnal effect has nothing to do with spacecraft altitude variations. It is a variation in the atmosphere itself. The Sun heats up the sunlit side of the Earth's atmosphere, making it swell up. The atmosphere on the unlit side of the Earth cools and shrinks. The ISS sails through this large variation in density about 16 times a day. $\endgroup$
    – David Hammen
    Commented Apr 11, 2018 at 11:44