What is the term when the orbit dies..I was thinking it was called "orbit decay" but I think its a diff name

Question

Yea I kinda did some reserch but for some reason thought it was still called something else...Thanks!

Answer 1

Orbital collapse would be more accurate.

Answer 2

Orbits decay; astronauts die. It's definitely not called "orbital collapse," as another user is claiming. The word "decay" is used because it generally takes many orbits for the satellite to actually fall to the body it orbits. There's no sudden "collapse" involved.

Answer 3

It is called "orbital decay", when an object in orbit gets pulled in to the object being orbited and eventually crashes or burns up, depending on whether or not an atmosphere exists.