This is an image of the space shuttle as it is orbiting around the Earth. The space shuttle orbits in the thermosphere of the Earth.
Click on image for full size
Courtesy of NASA
The Thermosphere
The thermosphere is the fourth layer of the Earth's atmosphere. It is found
above the mesosphere. The air is really thin that high up. The
temperature changes with the
solar
activity. If the sun is active, temperatures in the thermosphere can
get up to 1,500°C or higher!
The Earth's thermosphere also includes the region called the
ionosphere.
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