| abstract | - A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit around Earth with an altitude between kilometer (mi) (orbital period of about 88 minutes), and kilometer (mi) (about 127 minutes). Objects below approximately kilometer (mi) will experience very rapid orbital decay and altitude loss. The orbital velocity needed to maintain a stable low Earth orbit is about 7.8 km/s, but reduces with increased orbital altitude. With the exception of the manned lunar flights of the Apollo program, all human spaceflights have taken place in LEO (or were suborbital). The International Space Station conducts operations in LEO. The altitude record for a human spaceflight in LEO was Gemini 11 with an apogee of kilometer (mi). All manned space stations to date, as well as the majority of satellites, have been in LEO.
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