Although the thermosphere is considered part of Earth's atmosphere, the air density is so low we normally think of it as outer space The space shuttle and the International Space Station both orbit Earth within the thermosphere. Much of the Sun's UV and x-ray
radiation are also absorbed by this layer. The thermosphere gets hotter and expands or puffs up' Because of this the height of the
top of the thermosphere varies. The thermosphere has winds and tides that help move energy around Why is this important for NASA
engineers to know when designing future satellites?