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StackOverflowEx t1_j8yzn6r wrote

Reply to comment by ferrel_hadley in Where does space really begin? Chinese spy balloon highlights legal fuzziness of ‘near space’ by HarpuasGhost

Stable orbit is both a velocity and an altitude. Orbital velocity is dependent on orbital altitude. The absolute minimum before Earth's atmosphere interferes too much is 160 kilometers altitude at 17700 mph. Higher altitudes mean more velocity is needed to be in orbit.

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Exploration7310 t1_j8zfj52 wrote

Circular orbits at higher altitudes actually require less velocity to maintain the orbit, although they require more energy to reach

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