What Is Low Earth Orbit?

Low Earth orbit is a region of space where many satellites are located. Low Earth orbit is closer to Earth than a traditional orbit. It is the most popular orbit for satellites because it’s close enough to Earth for convenient transportation, communication, observation, and resupply. Satellites typically orbit at an altitude of about 1,200 miles above Earth or less. Low Earth orbit is also where a lot of space junk is located. Even though scientists are working on pushing this junk into higher orbits, this is still the place where lots of debris is located.