Space can get closer - exactly 20 kilometers: scientists from the International Aeronautical Federation (FAI) invited their colleagues from the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) to discuss the possibility of reducing the official boundary of outer space from 100 to 80 kilometers from Earth. Next year, a corresponding meeting should be held with the participation of specialists from both federations and other specialists from the space industry.
The height above sea level, which is taken as the boundary between the Earth's atmosphere and space, and also concurrently is the upper boundary of states, is called the Karman line - after the American scientist Theodore von Karman. He was the first to determine that it is at this altitude that the atmosphere becomes so rarefied that in order to continue the flight, it is necessary to use the means of astronautics, since the speed of the aircraft required to create sufficient lift becomes greater than the first cosmic speed.
As defined by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, the Karman Line is at an altitude of 100 kilometers. The fastest aircraft to date have a service ceiling within 25 kilometers, the lightest and largest balloons rarely cross the 50 km border. Space satellites at an altitude of 100 km begin to enter the planet's atmosphere and are destroyed. However, the US Air Force, for example, has its own view of the boundary of space: the US military considers this to be 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) above sea level. Now the International Aeronautical Federation (FAI) has decided to suddenly change its mind.
The reason for the official transfer of the space border, scientists call some studies proving that it is 80 kilometers above sea level that should really be considered a more adequate level. Probably, we are talking about the work of Jonathan McDowell from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (USA), in which the scientist performed a mathematical analysis of the influence of the atmosphere on vehicles with different densities, and also analyzed in detail the flights of satellites at low altitudes. Modeling has shown that the area in which aerodynamic forces cease to exert a dominant influence on flight lies in the range from 66 to 88 kilometers, depending on the parameters of the aircraft.
As a result, McDowell concluded that it is still more correct to consider an altitude of 80 kilometers as the lower boundary of space, rather than 100. An official meeting with the participation of researchers from the International Aeronautical Federation (FAI) and the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), as well as leading scientists and experts from the space industry, due to take place next year. Based on its results, a decision will be made whether to lower the boundary of space 20 kilometers closer to our planet, or should everything be left as it is.
Alexander Ponomarev