All Topics  
Geocentric orbit

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Geocentric orbit
 
 
  Topics Geocentric orbit Topic Home

A geocentric orbit is an orbit of any object orbiting the Earth
Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in diameter, mass and density. It is also referred to as the World and Wiktionary:Terra.Note that by International Astronomical Union convention, the term "Terra" is used for naming extensive land masses, rather...
, such as the Moon
Moon

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and the List of natural satellites by diameter satellite in the Solar System. The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is km, about thirty times the diameter of the Earth....
 or artificial satellites. Currently there are approximately 2465 artificial satellites orbiting the Earth and 6216 pieces of space debris
Space debris

Space debris or orbital debris, also called space junk and space waste, are the objects in orbit around Earth created by humans, and that no longer serve any useful purpose....
 as tracked by the Goddard Space Flight Center
Goddard Space Flight Center

File:Goddard aerial.gifThe Goddard Space Flight Center is a major NASA space research laboratory established on May 1, 1959 as NASA's first space flight center....
. Over 16,291 previously launched objects have decayed
Atmospheric reentry

Atmospheric reentry refers to the movement of human-made or natural objects as they enter the atmosphere of a planet from outer space, in the case of Earth from an altitude above the "edge of space." This article primarily addresses the process of controlled reentry of vehicles which are intended to reach the planetary surface intact, but th...
 into the Earth's atmosphere
Atmosphere

An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, by the gravity of the body, and are retained for a longer duration if gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low....
.

List of terms and concepts

Analemma
Analemma

In astronomy, an analemma is a curve representing the angular offset of a celestial body from its mean position on the celestial sphere as viewed from another celestial body ....
: a term in astronomy
Astronomy

Astronomy is the science of Astronomical object and Phenomenon that originate outside the Earth's atmosphere . It is concerned with the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects, as well as the physical cosmology....
 used to describe the plot
Chart

and A chart is a visual representation of data, in which the data are represented by symbols such as bars in a bar chart or lines in a line chart....
 of the positions of the Sun
Sun

The Sun , a G V star, is the star at the center of the Solar System. The Earth and other matter orbit the Sun, which by itself accounts for about 98.6% of the Solar System's mass....
 on the celestial sphere
Celestial sphere

In astronomy and navigation, the celestial sphere is an imagination rotation sphere of "gigantic radius", concentric spheres and coaxial with the Earth....
 throughout one year.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Geocentric orbit'
Start a new discussion about 'Geocentric orbit'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


A geocentric orbit is an orbit of any object orbiting the Earth
Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in diameter, mass and density. It is also referred to as the World and Wiktionary:Terra.Note that by International Astronomical Union convention, the term "Terra" is used for naming extensive land masses, rather...
, such as the Moon
Moon

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and the List of natural satellites by diameter satellite in the Solar System. The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is km, about thirty times the diameter of the Earth....
 or artificial satellites. Currently there are approximately 2465 artificial satellites orbiting the Earth and 6216 pieces of space debris
Space debris

Space debris or orbital debris, also called space junk and space waste, are the objects in orbit around Earth created by humans, and that no longer serve any useful purpose....
 as tracked by the Goddard Space Flight Center
Goddard Space Flight Center

File:Goddard aerial.gifThe Goddard Space Flight Center is a major NASA space research laboratory established on May 1, 1959 as NASA's first space flight center....
. Over 16,291 previously launched objects have decayed
Atmospheric reentry

Atmospheric reentry refers to the movement of human-made or natural objects as they enter the atmosphere of a planet from outer space, in the case of Earth from an altitude above the "edge of space." This article primarily addresses the process of controlled reentry of vehicles which are intended to reach the planetary surface intact, but th...
 into the Earth's atmosphere
Atmosphere

An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, by the gravity of the body, and are retained for a longer duration if gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low....
.

List of terms and concepts



Analemma
Analemma

In astronomy, an analemma is a curve representing the angular offset of a celestial body from its mean position on the celestial sphere as viewed from another celestial body ....
: a term in astronomy
Astronomy

Astronomy is the science of Astronomical object and Phenomenon that originate outside the Earth's atmosphere . It is concerned with the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects, as well as the physical cosmology....
 used to describe the plot
Chart

and A chart is a visual representation of data, in which the data are represented by symbols such as bars in a bar chart or lines in a line chart....
 of the positions of the Sun
Sun

The Sun , a G V star, is the star at the center of the Solar System. The Earth and other matter orbit the Sun, which by itself accounts for about 98.6% of the Solar System's mass....
 on the celestial sphere
Celestial sphere

In astronomy and navigation, the celestial sphere is an imagination rotation sphere of "gigantic radius", concentric spheres and coaxial with the Earth....
 throughout one year. Closely resembles a figure-eight.

Altitude
Altitude

Altitude has multiple uses depending on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object....
: as used here, the height
Height

Height is the measurement of vertical distance, but has two meanings in common use. It can either indicate how "tall" something is, or how "high up" it is....
 of an object above the average
Average

In mathematics, an average, or central tendency of a data set refers to a measure of the "middle" or "Expected value" value of the data set....
 surface of the Earth
Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in diameter, mass and density. It is also referred to as the World and Wiktionary:Terra.Note that by International Astronomical Union convention, the term "Terra" is used for naming extensive land masses, rather...
's ocean
Ocean

An ocean is a major body of Seawater, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a World Ocean that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas....
s.

Apogee: is the farthest point that a satellite
Satellite

In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an Physical body which has been placed into orbit by human endeavor. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
 or celestial
Celestial

The term celestial refers to the sky and/or Heaven. An astronomical object is sometimes referred to as a celestial body or celestial object....
 body can go from earth
Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in diameter, mass and density. It is also referred to as the World and Wiktionary:Terra.Note that by International Astronomical Union convention, the term "Terra" is used for naming extensive land masses, rather...
 at which the orbital velocity will be at its minimum.

Eccentricity
Eccentricity (mathematics)

In mathematics, the eccentricity, denoted e or , is a parameter associated with every Conic section#Eccentricity. It can be thought of as a measure of how much the conic section deviates from being circular....
: a measure of how much an orbit
ORBit

ORBit is a Common Object Request Broker Architecture 2.4 compliant Object Request Broker . It features mature C , C++ and Python bindings, and less developed bindings for Perl, Lisp , Pascal , Ruby , and Tcl....
 deviates from a perfect circle
Circle

A circle is a simple shape of Euclidean geometry consisting of those point in a plane which are the same distance from a given point called the center....
. Eccentricity is strictly defined for all circular
Circular orbit

In astrodynamics or celestial mechanics a circular orbit is an elliptic orbit with the eccentricity equal to 0. It is an example of a rotation around a fixed axis: this axis is the line through the center of mass perpendicular to the plane of motion....
, elliptic, parabolic and hyperbolic orbits.

Equatorial plane: as used here, an imaginary
Imaginary

Imaginary can refer to:* Imaginary , a concept in sociology* Imaginary number, a concept in mathematics* Imaginary time, a concept in physics...
 plane
Plane (mathematics)

In mathematics, a plane is a curvature surface. Planes can arise as subspaces of some higher dimensional space, as with the walls of a room, or they may enjoy an independent existence in their own right, as in the setting of Euclidean geometry....
 extending from the equator on the Earth
Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in diameter, mass and density. It is also referred to as the World and Wiktionary:Terra.Note that by International Astronomical Union convention, the term "Terra" is used for naming extensive land masses, rather...
 to the celestial sphere
Celestial sphere

In astronomy and navigation, the celestial sphere is an imagination rotation sphere of "gigantic radius", concentric spheres and coaxial with the Earth....
.

Orbital characteristics: the six parameter
Parameter

In mathematics, statistics, and the mathematical sciences, a parameter is a quantity that defines certain characteristics of systems or function s....
s of the Keplerian elements needed to specify that orbit
ORBit

ORBit is a Common Object Request Broker Architecture 2.4 compliant Object Request Broker . It features mature C , C++ and Python bindings, and less developed bindings for Perl, Lisp , Pascal , Ruby , and Tcl....
 uniquely.

Escape velocity
Escape velocity

In physics, escape velocity is the speed where the kinetic energy of an object is equal to the magnitude of its gravitational potential energy, as calculated by the equation,...
: as used here, the minimum velocity
Velocity

In physics, velocity is defined as the Derivative of Position vector. It is a vector physical quantity; both speed and direction are required to define it....
 an object without propulsion
Spacecraft propulsion

Spacecraft propulsion is any method used to accelerate spacecraft and artificial satellites. There are many different methods. Each method has drawbacks and advantages, and spacecraft propulsion is an active area of research....
 needs to have to move away indefinitely from the earth
Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in diameter, mass and density. It is also referred to as the World and Wiktionary:Terra.Note that by International Astronomical Union convention, the term "Terra" is used for naming extensive land masses, rather...
. An object with such a velocity
Velocity

In physics, velocity is defined as the Derivative of Position vector. It is a vector physical quantity; both speed and direction are required to define it....
 will enter an escape orbit
Escape orbit

An escape orbit is a high-energy parabolic orbit around the central body. A body in this orbit has at each position the escape velocity with respect to this central body, for this position....
.

Impulse
Impulse

In classical mechanics, an impulse is defined as the integral of a force with respect to time. When a force is applied to a rigid body it changes the momentum of that body....
: the product of a force
Force

In physics, a force is that which can cause an object with mass to change its velocity. Force has both Euclidean_vector#Length of a vector and Direction , making it a Vector quantity....
 and the time
Time

Time is a component of the measurement used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify the motions of objects....
 during which it acts. Measured in (kg
Kilogram

The kilogram or kilogrammeThe spelling kilogram is used by the International Committee for Weights and Measures and the U.S....
 m/s or N
Newton

The newton is the International System of Units SI derived unit of force, named after Isaac Newton in recognition of his work on classical mechanics....
·s
Second

The second , sometimes abbreviated sec., is the name of a units of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units SI base unit of time....
).

Specific Impulse
Specific impulse

Specific impulse is a way to describe the efficiency of rocket engine and jet engine engines. It represents the impulse per unit of propellant....
: is defined as the ratio of thrust
Thrust

Thrust is a reaction force described quantitatively by Isaac Newton's Newton's laws of motion. When a system expels or acceleration mass in one direction the accelerated mass will cause a proportional but opposite force on that system....
 produced and the mass flow rate into the rocket
Rocket

A rocket or rocket vehicle is a missile, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust by the Reaction of the rocket to the ejection of fast moving fluid exhaust from a rocket engine....
 engine
Engine

An engine is a mechanical device that produces some form of output from a given input.An engine whose purpose is to produce kinetic energy output from a fuel is called a Wiktionary:prime mover; alternatively, a motor is a device which produces kinetic energy from a preprocessed "fuel" ....
. Its unit of measurement is (s
Second

The second , sometimes abbreviated sec., is the name of a units of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units SI base unit of time....
).

Inclination
Inclination

Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or Axis_of_rotation of direction. The axial tilt is expressed as the angle made by the planet's axis and a line drawn through the planet's center perpendicular to the orbital plane....
: the angle
Angle

In geometry and trigonometry, an angle is the figure formed by two Ray sharing a common endpoint, called the vertex of the angle . The magnitude of the angle is the "amount of rotation" that separates the two rays, and can be measured by considering the length of circular arc swept out when one ray is rotated about the vertex to coincide...
 between a reference plane and another plane
Plane (mathematics)

In mathematics, a plane is a curvature surface. Planes can arise as subspaces of some higher dimensional space, as with the walls of a room, or they may enjoy an independent existence in their own right, as in the setting of Euclidean geometry....
 or axis. In the sense discussed here the reference plane is the Earth
Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in diameter, mass and density. It is also referred to as the World and Wiktionary:Terra.Note that by International Astronomical Union convention, the term "Terra" is used for naming extensive land masses, rather...
's equatorial plane.

Orbital period
Orbital period

The orbital Periodicity is the time taken for a given object to make one complete orbit about another object.When mentioned without further qualification in astronomy this refers to the sidereal period of an astronomical object, which is calculated with respect to the stars....
: as defined here, time it takes a satellite
Satellite

In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an Physical body which has been placed into orbit by human endeavor. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
 to make one full orbit
ORBit

ORBit is a Common Object Request Broker Architecture 2.4 compliant Object Request Broker . It features mature C , C++ and Python bindings, and less developed bindings for Perl, Lisp , Pascal , Ruby , and Tcl....
 about the Earth
Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in diameter, mass and density. It is also referred to as the World and Wiktionary:Terra.Note that by International Astronomical Union convention, the term "Terra" is used for naming extensive land masses, rather...
.

Perigee: is the nearest approach point of a satellite or celestial body from Earth at which the orbital velocity will be at its maximum.

Sidereal day: the time it takes for a celestial object to rotate 360°. For the Earth
Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in diameter, mass and density. It is also referred to as the World and Wiktionary:Terra.Note that by International Astronomical Union convention, the term "Terra" is used for naming extensive land masses, rather...
 this is: 23 hour
Hour

The hour is a unit of time. It is not an SI unit but is Non-SI units accepted for use with SI....
s, 56 minute
Minute

A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle.The minute is a Unit of measurement of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the Coordinated Universal Time time scale, a minute occasionally has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second....
s, 4.091 second
Second

The second , sometimes abbreviated sec., is the name of a units of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units SI base unit of time....
s.

Solar time
Solar time

Solar times are measures of the apparent position of the Sun on the celestial sphere. They are not actually the physical time, but rather hour angles, that is, angles expressed in time units....
: as used here, the local time as measured by a sundial
Sundial

A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a flat surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day....
.

Velocity
Velocity

In physics, velocity is defined as the Derivative of Position vector. It is a vector physical quantity; both speed and direction are required to define it....
: an object's speed
Speed

Speed is the rate of Motion , or equivalently the rate of change of distance.Speed is a Scalar quantity with dimensions length/time; the equivalent Vector quantity to speed is velocity....
 in a particular direction. Since velocity
Velocity

In physics, velocity is defined as the Derivative of Position vector. It is a vector physical quantity; both speed and direction are required to define it....
 is defined as a vector, both speed
Speed

Speed is the rate of Motion , or equivalently the rate of change of distance.Speed is a Scalar quantity with dimensions length/time; the equivalent Vector quantity to speed is velocity....
 and direction are required to define it.

Geocentric orbit types

The following is a list of different geocentric orbit classifications.

Altitude classifications

Low Earth Orbit
Low Earth orbit

A Low Earth Orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the Locus extending from the Earth?s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km. Given the rapid orbital decay of objects below approximately 200 km, the commonly accepted definition for LEO is between 160 - 2,000 km above the Earth surface....
 (LEO) - Geocentric orbits ranging in altitude from 0 - 2000 km (0 - 1240 miles); one revolution takes 90 minutes, the speed is 8 kilometers per second.


Medium Earth Orbit
Medium Earth Orbit

Medium Earth Orbit , sometimes called Intermediate Circular Orbit , is the region of space around the Earth above Low Earth Orbit and below geostationary orbit ....
 (MEO) - Geocentric orbits ranging in altitude from 2000 km - to just below geosynchronous orbit
Geosynchronous orbit

A geosynchronous orbit is an orbit around the Earth with an orbital period matching the Earth's sidereal day rotation period. This synchronization means that for an observer at a fixed location on Earth, a satellite in a geosynchronous orbit returns to exactly the same place in the sky at exactly the same time each day....
 at 35,786 km (22,240 miles). Also known as an intermediate circular orbit.


Geosynchronous Orbit
Geosynchronous orbit

A geosynchronous orbit is an orbit around the Earth with an orbital period matching the Earth's sidereal day rotation period. This synchronization means that for an observer at a fixed location on Earth, a satellite in a geosynchronous orbit returns to exactly the same place in the sky at exactly the same time each day....
 (GEO) - Geocentric orbit with an altitude of 35,786 km (22,236 statute miles) above mean sea level. The period of the orbit coincides with the rotation period of the earth: 24 hours; the speed is 3 km/s.


High Earth Orbit
High Earth orbit

A High Earth Orbit is a geocentric orbit whose apogee lies above that of a geosynchronous orbit .Highly Elliptical Orbits are generally considered to be a subset of High Earth Orbits....
 (HEO) - Geocentric orbit higher than 35,786 km (22,236 statute miles)


Inclination classifications


Inclined Orbit
Inclined orbit

A satellite is said to occupy an inclined orbit around the Earth if the orbit exhibits an angle other than zero degrees with the equatorial plane....
 - An orbit whose inclination
Inclination

Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or Axis_of_rotation of direction. The axial tilt is expressed as the angle made by the planet's axis and a line drawn through the planet's center perpendicular to the orbital plane....
 in reference to the equatorial plane is not 0.


Polar Orbit
Polar orbit

A polar orbit is an orbit in which a satellite passes above or nearly above both Geographical poles of the body being orbited on each revolution....
 - A satellite that passes above or nearly above both poles of the planet
Planet

A planet , as 2006 definition of planet by the International Astronomical Union , is a celestial body orbiting a star or Stellar evolution#Stellar remnants that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared the neighbourhood of planetesimals....
 on each revolution. Therefore it has an inclination
Inclination

Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or Axis_of_rotation of direction. The axial tilt is expressed as the angle made by the planet's axis and a line drawn through the planet's center perpendicular to the orbital plane....
 of (or very close to) 90 degree
Degree (angle)

A degree , usually denoted by ? , is a measurement of plane angle, representing 1/360 of a Turn ; one degree is equivalent to p/180 radians....
s.

Polar Sun-synchronous Orbit - A nearly polar orbit
Polar orbit

A polar orbit is an orbit in which a satellite passes above or nearly above both Geographical poles of the body being orbited on each revolution....
 that passes the equator
Equator

The equator is the intersection of the Earth's surface with the Plane perpendicular to the Earth's rotation and containing the Earth's center of mass....
 at the same local time on every pass. Useful for image
Image

An image is an artifact, usually two-dimensional , that has a similar appearance to some subject —usually a physical object or a person....
 taking satellites because shadow
Shadow

File:Shadow, Ronald Reagan Building - Washington, D.C..jpgA shadow is an area where direct light from a light source cannot reach due to obstruction by an object....
s will be the same on every pass.

Eccentricity classifications


Circular Orbit
Circular orbit

In astrodynamics or celestial mechanics a circular orbit is an elliptic orbit with the eccentricity equal to 0. It is an example of a rotation around a fixed axis: this axis is the line through the center of mass perpendicular to the plane of motion....
 - An orbit
ORBit

ORBit is a Common Object Request Broker Architecture 2.4 compliant Object Request Broker . It features mature C , C++ and Python bindings, and less developed bindings for Perl, Lisp , Pascal , Ruby , and Tcl....
 that has an eccentricity
Orbital eccentricity

In astrodynamics, under standard assumptions in astrodynamics, any orbit must be of conic section shape. The eccentricity of this conic section, the orbit's eccentricity, is an important parameter of the orbit that defines its absolute shape....
 of 0 and whose path traces a circle
Circle

A circle is a simple shape of Euclidean geometry consisting of those point in a plane which are the same distance from a given point called the center....
.


Hohmann transfer orbit
Hohmann transfer orbit

In orbital mechanics, the Hohmann transfer orbit is an orbital maneuver using two engine impulses which, under Standard assumptions in astrodynamics, move a spacecraft between two coplanar circular orbits....
 - An orbital maneuver that moves a spacecraft
Spacecraft

A spacecraft is a Craft or machine designed for spaceflight. On a sub-orbital spaceflight, a spacecraft enters outer space then returns to the Earth....
 from one circular orbit
Circular orbit

In astrodynamics or celestial mechanics a circular orbit is an elliptic orbit with the eccentricity equal to 0. It is an example of a rotation around a fixed axis: this axis is the line through the center of mass perpendicular to the plane of motion....
 to another using two engine impulse
Impulse

In classical mechanics, an impulse is defined as the integral of a force with respect to time. When a force is applied to a rigid body it changes the momentum of that body....
s. This maneuver was named after Walter Hohmann
Walter Hohmann

Walter Hohmann was a Germany engineer who made an important contribution to the understanding of orbit. In a book published in 1925, Hohmann demonstrated a very fuel-efficient path to move a spacecraft between two different orbits, now called a Hohmann transfer orbit....
.

Elliptic Orbit
Elliptic orbit

In astrodynamics or celestial mechanics an elliptic orbit is a Kepler orbit with the eccentricity greater than 0 and less than 1. In a gravitational two-body problem with the eccentricity in this range both bodies follow Similarity elliptic orbits with the same orbital period around their common barycenter....
 - An orbit
ORBit

ORBit is a Common Object Request Broker Architecture 2.4 compliant Object Request Broker . It features mature C , C++ and Python bindings, and less developed bindings for Perl, Lisp , Pascal , Ruby , and Tcl....
 with an eccentricity
Orbital eccentricity

In astrodynamics, under standard assumptions in astrodynamics, any orbit must be of conic section shape. The eccentricity of this conic section, the orbit's eccentricity, is an important parameter of the orbit that defines its absolute shape....
 greater than 0 and less than 1 whose orbit traces the path of an ellipse
Ellipse

In mathematics, an ellipse is the apparent shape of a circle viewed obliquely from outside it, as distinct from a hyperbola which is the shape seen from inside....
.


Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit - A geocentric-elliptic orbit
Elliptic orbit

In astrodynamics or celestial mechanics an elliptic orbit is a Kepler orbit with the eccentricity greater than 0 and less than 1. In a gravitational two-body problem with the eccentricity in this range both bodies follow Similarity elliptic orbits with the same orbital period around their common barycenter....
 where the perigee is at the altitude
Altitude

Altitude has multiple uses depending on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object....
 of a Low Earth Orbit
Low Earth orbit

A Low Earth Orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the Locus extending from the Earth?s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km. Given the rapid orbital decay of objects below approximately 200 km, the commonly accepted definition for LEO is between 160 - 2,000 km above the Earth surface....
 (LEO) and the apogee at the altitude
Altitude

Altitude has multiple uses depending on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object....
 of a geosynchronous orbit
Geosynchronous orbit

A geosynchronous orbit is an orbit around the Earth with an orbital period matching the Earth's sidereal day rotation period. This synchronization means that for an observer at a fixed location on Earth, a satellite in a geosynchronous orbit returns to exactly the same place in the sky at exactly the same time each day....
.

Geostationary Transfer Orbit - A geocentric-elliptic orbit
Elliptic orbit

In astrodynamics or celestial mechanics an elliptic orbit is a Kepler orbit with the eccentricity greater than 0 and less than 1. In a gravitational two-body problem with the eccentricity in this range both bodies follow Similarity elliptic orbits with the same orbital period around their common barycenter....
 where the perigee is at the altitude
Altitude

Altitude has multiple uses depending on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object....
 of a Low Earth Orbit
Low Earth orbit

A Low Earth Orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the Locus extending from the Earth?s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km. Given the rapid orbital decay of objects below approximately 200 km, the commonly accepted definition for LEO is between 160 - 2,000 km above the Earth surface....
 (LEO) and the apogee at the altitude
Altitude

Altitude has multiple uses depending on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object....
 of a geostationary orbit
Geostationary orbit

A geostationary orbit is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth's equator , with a period equal to the Earth's rotational period and an orbital eccentricity of approximately zero....
.

Highly Elliptical Orbit
Highly Elliptical Orbit

Highly Elliptical Orbit is an elliptic orbit characterized by a relatively low-altitude perigee and an extremely high-altitude apogee. These extremely elongated orbits can have the advantage of long dwell times at a point in the sky during the approach to and descent from apogee....
 (HEO) - Geocentric orbit with apogee above 35,786 km and low perigee (about 1000 km) that result in long dwell times near apogee.

Molniya Orbit
Molniya orbit

A Molniya orbit is a type of highly elliptical orbit with an inclination of 63.4 Degree s and an orbital period of about 12 hours. Molniya orbits are named after a series of Soviet Union/Russian Molniya communications satellites which have been using this type of orbit since the mid 1960s....
 - A highly elliptical orbit
Highly Elliptical Orbit

Highly Elliptical Orbit is an elliptic orbit characterized by a relatively low-altitude perigee and an extremely high-altitude apogee. These extremely elongated orbits can have the advantage of long dwell times at a point in the sky during the approach to and descent from apogee....
 with inclination
Inclination

Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or Axis_of_rotation of direction. The axial tilt is expressed as the angle made by the planet's axis and a line drawn through the planet's center perpendicular to the orbital plane....
 of 63.4° and orbital period
Orbital period

The orbital Periodicity is the time taken for a given object to make one complete orbit about another object.When mentioned without further qualification in astronomy this refers to the sidereal period of an astronomical object, which is calculated with respect to the stars....
 of ½ of a sidereal day (roughly 12 hours). Such a satellite spends most of its time over a designated area of the planet
Planet

A planet , as 2006 definition of planet by the International Astronomical Union , is a celestial body orbiting a star or Stellar evolution#Stellar remnants that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared the neighbourhood of planetesimals....
.

Tundra Orbit
Tundra orbit

Tundra orbit is a type of Highly Elliptical Orbit geosynchronous orbit with a high inclination and an orbital period of one sidereal day . A satellite placed in this orbit spends most of its time over a chosen area of the Earth, a phenomenon known as Apsis dwell....
 - A highly elliptical orbit
Highly Elliptical Orbit

Highly Elliptical Orbit is an elliptic orbit characterized by a relatively low-altitude perigee and an extremely high-altitude apogee. These extremely elongated orbits can have the advantage of long dwell times at a point in the sky during the approach to and descent from apogee....
 with inclination
Inclination

Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or Axis_of_rotation of direction. The axial tilt is expressed as the angle made by the planet's axis and a line drawn through the planet's center perpendicular to the orbital plane....
 of 63.4° and orbital period
Orbital period

The orbital Periodicity is the time taken for a given object to make one complete orbit about another object.When mentioned without further qualification in astronomy this refers to the sidereal period of an astronomical object, which is calculated with respect to the stars....
 of one sidereal day (roughly 24 hours). Such a satellite spends most of its time over a designated area of the planet
Planet

A planet , as 2006 definition of planet by the International Astronomical Union , is a celestial body orbiting a star or Stellar evolution#Stellar remnants that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared the neighbourhood of planetesimals....
.

Hyperbolic orbit - An orbit
ORBit

ORBit is a Common Object Request Broker Architecture 2.4 compliant Object Request Broker . It features mature C , C++ and Python bindings, and less developed bindings for Perl, Lisp , Pascal , Ruby , and Tcl....
 with the eccentricity greater than 1. Such an orbit also has a velocity
Velocity

In physics, velocity is defined as the Derivative of Position vector. It is a vector physical quantity; both speed and direction are required to define it....
 in excess of the escape velocity
Escape velocity

In physics, escape velocity is the speed where the kinetic energy of an object is equal to the magnitude of its gravitational potential energy, as calculated by the equation,...
 and as such, will escape the gravataional pull of the planet
Planet

A planet , as 2006 definition of planet by the International Astronomical Union , is a celestial body orbiting a star or Stellar evolution#Stellar remnants that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared the neighbourhood of planetesimals....
 and continue to travel infinitely.


Parabolic Orbit - An orbit
ORBit

ORBit is a Common Object Request Broker Architecture 2.4 compliant Object Request Broker . It features mature C , C++ and Python bindings, and less developed bindings for Perl, Lisp , Pascal , Ruby , and Tcl....
 with the eccentricity equal to 1. Such an orbit also has a velocity
Velocity

In physics, velocity is defined as the Derivative of Position vector. It is a vector physical quantity; both speed and direction are required to define it....
 equal to the escape velocity
Escape velocity

In physics, escape velocity is the speed where the kinetic energy of an object is equal to the magnitude of its gravitational potential energy, as calculated by the equation,...
 and therefore will escape the gravatational pull of the planet
Planet

A planet , as 2006 definition of planet by the International Astronomical Union , is a celestial body orbiting a star or Stellar evolution#Stellar remnants that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared the neighbourhood of planetesimals....
 and travel until it's velocity
Velocity

In physics, velocity is defined as the Derivative of Position vector. It is a vector physical quantity; both speed and direction are required to define it....
 relative to the planet
Planet

A planet , as 2006 definition of planet by the International Astronomical Union , is a celestial body orbiting a star or Stellar evolution#Stellar remnants that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared the neighbourhood of planetesimals....
 is 0. If the speed of such an orbit is increased it will become a hyperbolic orbit.


Escape Orbit
Escape orbit

An escape orbit is a high-energy parabolic orbit around the central body. A body in this orbit has at each position the escape velocity with respect to this central body, for this position....
 (EO) - A high-speed parabolic orbit where the object has escape velocity
Escape velocity

In physics, escape velocity is the speed where the kinetic energy of an object is equal to the magnitude of its gravitational potential energy, as calculated by the equation,...
 and is moving away from the planet
Planet

A planet , as 2006 definition of planet by the International Astronomical Union , is a celestial body orbiting a star or Stellar evolution#Stellar remnants that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared the neighbourhood of planetesimals....
.

Capture Orbit
Capture orbit

A capture orbit is a reverse escape orbit. It is a parabolic orbit with as special case a straight line in the direction of the center of the central body....
 - A high-speed parabolic orbit where the object has escape velocity
Escape velocity

In physics, escape velocity is the speed where the kinetic energy of an object is equal to the magnitude of its gravitational potential energy, as calculated by the equation,...
 and is moving toward the planet
Planet

A planet , as 2006 definition of planet by the International Astronomical Union , is a celestial body orbiting a star or Stellar evolution#Stellar remnants that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared the neighbourhood of planetesimals....
.

Directional classifications

Prograde orbit - an orbit in which the projection of the object onto the equatorial plane revolves about the Earth in the same direction as the rotation of the Earth.
Retrograde orbit - an orbit in which the projection of the object onto the equatorial plane revolves about the Earth in the direction opposite that of the rotation of the Earth.


Geosynchronous classifications


Semi-Synchronous Orbit
Semi-synchronous Orbit

Semi-Synchronous Orbit: An orbit with approximately a 12-hour period. A circular Semi-Synchronous Orbit is at an altitude of approximately 20,200 km....
 (SSO) - An orbit
ORBit

ORBit is a Common Object Request Broker Architecture 2.4 compliant Object Request Broker . It features mature C , C++ and Python bindings, and less developed bindings for Perl, Lisp , Pascal , Ruby , and Tcl....
 with an altitude
Altitude

Altitude has multiple uses depending on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object....
 of approximately 20,200 km (12544.2 miles) and an orbital period
Orbital period

The orbital Periodicity is the time taken for a given object to make one complete orbit about another object.When mentioned without further qualification in astronomy this refers to the sidereal period of an astronomical object, which is calculated with respect to the stars....
 of approximately 12 hours


Geosynchronous Orbit
Geosynchronous orbit

A geosynchronous orbit is an orbit around the Earth with an orbital period matching the Earth's sidereal day rotation period. This synchronization means that for an observer at a fixed location on Earth, a satellite in a geosynchronous orbit returns to exactly the same place in the sky at exactly the same time each day....
 (GEO) - Orbits with an altitude of approximately 35,786 km (22,240 miles). Such a satellite would trace an analemma
Analemma

In astronomy, an analemma is a curve representing the angular offset of a celestial body from its mean position on the celestial sphere as viewed from another celestial body ....
 (figure 8) in the sky.


Geostationary orbit
Geostationary orbit

A geostationary orbit is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth's equator , with a period equal to the Earth's rotational period and an orbital eccentricity of approximately zero....
 (GSO): A geosynchronous orbit
Geosynchronous orbit

A geosynchronous orbit is an orbit around the Earth with an orbital period matching the Earth's sidereal day rotation period. This synchronization means that for an observer at a fixed location on Earth, a satellite in a geosynchronous orbit returns to exactly the same place in the sky at exactly the same time each day....
 with an inclination
Inclination

Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or Axis_of_rotation of direction. The axial tilt is expressed as the angle made by the planet's axis and a line drawn through the planet's center perpendicular to the orbital plane....
 of zero. To an observer on the ground this satellite would appear as a fixed point in the sky.

Clarke Orbit - Another name for a geostationary orbit
Geostationary orbit

A geostationary orbit is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth's equator , with a period equal to the Earth's rotational period and an orbital eccentricity of approximately zero....
. Named after the writer Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke

Sri Lankabhimanya Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, Order of the British Empire was a British people science fiction author, inventor, and Futurology, most famous for the novel 2001: A Space Odyssey , written in collaboration with director Stanley Kubrick, a collaboration which also produced the 2001: A Space Odyssey ; and as a host and comment...
.

Supersynchronous orbit - A disposal / storage orbit above GSO/GEO. Satellites will drift west.

Subsynchronous orbit
Subsynchronous orbit

A subsynchronous orbitis an orbit of a satellite that is nearer the planet than it would be if it were in synchronous orbit, i.e. the orbital period is less than the sidereal day of the planet....
 - A drift orbit close to but below GSO/GEO. Satellites will drift east.

Graveyard Orbit
Graveyard orbit

A graveyard orbit, also called a supersynchronous orbit, junk orbit or disposal orbit, is an orbit significantly above synchronous orbit where spacecraft are intentionally placed at the end of their operational life....
 - An orbit a few hundred kilometers above geosynchronous that satellites are moved into at the end of their operation.

Disposal Orbit - A synonym
Synonym

Synonyms are different words with identical or very similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy....
 for graveyard orbit
Graveyard orbit

A graveyard orbit, also called a supersynchronous orbit, junk orbit or disposal orbit, is an orbit significantly above synchronous orbit where spacecraft are intentionally placed at the end of their operational life....
.

Junk Orbit - A synonym
Synonym

Synonyms are different words with identical or very similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy....
 for graveyard orbit
Graveyard orbit

A graveyard orbit, also called a supersynchronous orbit, junk orbit or disposal orbit, is an orbit significantly above synchronous orbit where spacecraft are intentionally placed at the end of their operational life....
.

Special classifications


Sun-synchronous Orbit
Sun-synchronous orbit

A sun-synchronous orbit is a geocentric orbit which combines altitude and inclination in such a way that an object on that orbit passes over any given point of the Earth's surface at the same local solar time....
 - An orbit which combines altitude
Altitude

Altitude has multiple uses depending on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object....
 and inclination
Inclination

Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or Axis_of_rotation of direction. The axial tilt is expressed as the angle made by the planet's axis and a line drawn through the planet's center perpendicular to the orbital plane....
 in such a way that the satellite
Satellite

In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an Physical body which has been placed into orbit by human endeavor. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
 passes over any given point of the planet
Planet

A planet , as 2006 definition of planet by the International Astronomical Union , is a celestial body orbiting a star or Stellar evolution#Stellar remnants that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared the neighbourhood of planetesimals....
's surface at the same local solar time
Solar time

Solar times are measures of the apparent position of the Sun on the celestial sphere. They are not actually the physical time, but rather hour angles, that is, angles expressed in time units....
. Such an orbit can place a satellite in constant sunlight and is useful for imaging
Imaging

Imaging is the formation of an .Imaging may also refer to* Digital imaging, creating digital images, generally by scanning, or through digital photography...
, spy
Spy satellite

A spy satellite is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or espionage applications. These are essentially Space observatory that are pointed toward the Earth instead of toward the stars....
, and weather satellite
Weather satellite

A weather satellite is a type of satellite that is primarily used to monitor the weather and climate of the Earth. Satellites can be either polar orbiting, seeing the same swath of the Earth every 12 hours, or geostationary, hovering over the same spot on Earth by orbiting over the equator while moving at the speed of the Earth's rotation....
s.


Moon Orbit - The orbital characteristics of Earth
Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in diameter, mass and density. It is also referred to as the World and Wiktionary:Terra.Note that by International Astronomical Union convention, the term "Terra" is used for naming extensive land masses, rather...
's Moon
Moon

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and the List of natural satellites by diameter satellite in the Solar System. The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is km, about thirty times the diameter of the Earth....
. Average altitude
Altitude

Altitude has multiple uses depending on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object....
 of 384,403 kilometres (238,857 mi), elliptical-inclined orbit
Inclined orbit

A satellite is said to occupy an inclined orbit around the Earth if the orbit exhibits an angle other than zero degrees with the equatorial plane....
.


Non-geocentric classifications


Horseshoe Orbit
Horseshoe orbit

A horseshoe orbit appears when a viewer on an orbiting body watches the movement of another orbiting body, whose orbit is skinnier , but has about the same period....
 - An orbit
ORBit

ORBit is a Common Object Request Broker Architecture 2.4 compliant Object Request Broker . It features mature C , C++ and Python bindings, and less developed bindings for Perl, Lisp , Pascal , Ruby , and Tcl....
 that appears to a ground observer to be orbiting a planet
Planet

A planet , as 2006 definition of planet by the International Astronomical Union , is a celestial body orbiting a star or Stellar evolution#Stellar remnants that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared the neighbourhood of planetesimals....
 but is actually in co-orbit with it. See asteroids 3753
3753 Cruithne

3753 Cruithne is an asteroid in orbit around the Sun in 1:1 orbital resonance with that of the Earth. Due to its unusual orbit relative to that of the Earth, it is a periodic inclusion planetoid and is sometimes incorrectly called "Earth's second moon", since it orbits the Sun, not the Earth....
 (Cruithne) and 2002 AA29
2002 AA29

Asteroid is a near-Earth asteroid discovered in January 2002 by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research, measuring about 60 meter across.On January 8, 2003, the asteroid came within approximately 5.9 Gm of Earth, its closest approach for almost a century....
.


Exo-orbit - A maneuver where a spacecraft
Spacecraft

A spacecraft is a Craft or machine designed for spaceflight. On a sub-orbital spaceflight, a spacecraft enters outer space then returns to the Earth....
 approaches the height of orbit
ORBit

ORBit is a Common Object Request Broker Architecture 2.4 compliant Object Request Broker . It features mature C , C++ and Python bindings, and less developed bindings for Perl, Lisp , Pascal , Ruby , and Tcl....
 but lacks the velocity
Velocity

In physics, velocity is defined as the Derivative of Position vector. It is a vector physical quantity; both speed and direction are required to define it....
 to sustain it.


Sub-Orbital Spaceflight
Sub-orbital spaceflight

A sub-orbital spaceflight is a spaceflight in which the spacecraft reaches Outer space, but its trajectory intersects the atmosphere or surface of the gravitating body from which it was launched, so that it does not complete one orbital revolution....
 - A synonym
Synonym

Synonyms are different words with identical or very similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy....
 for Exo-orbit.

See also


  • List of orbits
    List of orbits

    The following is a list of types of Orbit s:...
  • Astronomy
    Astronomy

    Astronomy is the science of Astronomical object and Phenomenon that originate outside the Earth's atmosphere . It is concerned with the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects, as well as the physical cosmology....
  • Astrodynamics
    Astrodynamics

    Orbital mechanics or astrodynamics is the application of celestial mechanics to the practical problems concerning the motion of rockets and other spacecraft....
  • Celestial sphere
    Celestial sphere

    In astronomy and navigation, the celestial sphere is an imagination rotation sphere of "gigantic radius", concentric spheres and coaxial with the Earth....
  • Orbit
    ORBit

    ORBit is a Common Object Request Broker Architecture 2.4 compliant Object Request Broker . It features mature C , C++ and Python bindings, and less developed bindings for Perl, Lisp , Pascal , Ruby , and Tcl....
  • Heliocentric orbit
    Heliocentric orbit

    A heliocentric orbit is an orbit around the Sun. In our Solar System, all planets, comets, and asteroids are in such orbits, as are many artificial Space probe and pieces of Space debris....
  • Areosynchronous satellite
  • Areostationary satellite
  • Escape velocity
    Escape velocity

    In physics, escape velocity is the speed where the kinetic energy of an object is equal to the magnitude of its gravitational potential energy, as calculated by the equation,...
  • Satellite
    Satellite

    In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an Physical body which has been placed into orbit by human endeavor. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....