* Atmosphere's Gradual Fade: The Earth's atmosphere doesn't have a sharp boundary. It gradually thins out with altitude. The "outermost part" is a fuzzy concept.
* Orbital Mechanics: For an object to be in orbit, it needs to be moving fast enough to overcome gravity. Within the atmosphere, there is significant air resistance. This resistance would slow down any object trying to orbit, preventing it from achieving the necessary speed.
What happens instead:
* Sub-orbital Flight: Objects launched into the lower part of the atmosphere might achieve a ballistic trajectory, reaching a high altitude before falling back to Earth. This is what happens with rockets carrying people into space for brief periods.
* Low Earth Orbit (LEO): Satellites in LEO are the closest to Earth, typically orbiting at altitudes of 160 to 2,000 kilometers. They are above the densest part of the atmosphere but still experience some atmospheric drag.
Key takeaway: There is no orbit that exists within the outermost part of the atmosphere because the atmosphere's density would make it impossible to maintain the orbital speed needed to stay aloft.
