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From: dietz%USC-CSE%ECLA@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: How long will a satellite stay in GEO?
Message-ID: <2016@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 15-Jul-84 10:55:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.2016
Posted: Sun Jul 15 10:55:00 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 19-Jul-84 03:19:22 EDT
Lines: 7

Radiation pressure itself won't cause a satellite's to decay very fast,
because accelerations on opposite sides of the orbit cancel out.  The
fuel is mainly to keep satellites at the correct longitude.

When comsats have exceded their useful lives they are boosted to a
somewhat larger orbit.  Decay time from this orbit must be fairly long
for this to work (how much bigger are these orbits?).