KARMAN LINE

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Context

• If an adversary were to dominate the Kármán line, the theoretical boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space, several threats to satellite communications could emerge, affecting both space-based assets and their communication capabilities.

About Karman Line

• The line that separates the earth's atmosphere from space is an imaginary one, situated at a height of 100 km (62 miles) above sea level.
• The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), a record-keeping organisation, founded it in the 1960s.
• Theodore von Kármán, a pioneer in aircraft, inspired its name.
• The line separating Earth's atmosphere and outer space is defined by the Federal Aviation Administration, NASA, and the U.S. military at 80 km (50 miles) above the planet's surface. While not all scientists and spacefarers agree with this definition, most nations and space organisations do.
• It is grounded in physical reality since it roughly denotes the altitude at which conventional aircraft can no longer fly.
• Because the air is so thin at that altitude, anything travelling above the Kármán line requires a propulsion system that doesn't rely on lift produced by Earth's atmosphere.
• Stated otherwise, the physical principles pertaining to a craft's capacity to fly change at the Kármán queue.
• This is the line that must be crossed to be considered an astronaut.

Why do we need a Kármán line?

• The 1967 Outer Space Treaty says that space should be accessible to all countries and can be freely and scientifically investigated.
• Defining a legal boundary of what and where space can help avoid disputes and keep track of space activities and human space travel.