English

The edge of space: Revisiting the Karman Line

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 2018-07-23 v1

Abstract

In this paper I revisit proposed definitions of the boundary between the Earth's atmosphere and outer space, considering orbital and suborbital trajectories used by space vehicles. In particular, I investigate the inner edge of outer space from historical, physical and technological viewpoints and propose 80 kilometers as a more appropriate boundary than the currently popular 100 km Von K\'{a}rm\'{a}n line.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1807.07894,
  title  = {The edge of space: Revisiting the Karman Line},
  author = {Jonathan C. McDowell},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1807.07894},
  year   = {2018}
}

Comments

17 pages, 4 figures