Synchronous Orbit

  



For a sun synchronous orbit with n cycles/day, the p eriod of the satellite is T = (24.60)/n min. The Earth rotation between two cycles is given by 360 ° /n. LEO sun-synchronous satellites typically take 12 to 16 cycles a day, which gives a p eriod of 1.5 to 2 hours and an angular spacing between covered lines of 30 ° 22.5 °. This video illustrates the principle of Sun-synchronous orbits used by EUMETSAT's Metop satellites. The satellite's orbital plane is indicated by the red tor. The basic maneuver plan for reaching this orbit is to first achieve a low Kerbin orbit (LKO) and then perform two maneuvers to execute a Hohmann transfer. The first one, called the periapsis maneuver, is raising the apoapsis to the required altitude for a synchronous orbit. This places the spacecraft on a kerbisynchronous transfer orbit (KTO.

  1. Synchronous Orbit Calculator
  2. Synchronous Orbit Of Earth

This orbit is a special case of the polar orbit. Like a polar orbit, the satellite travels from the north to the south polesas the Earth turns below it. Magnet download mac. In a sun-synchronous orbit, though, thesatellite passes over the same part of the Earth at roughly the same local timeeach day. This can make communication and various forms of data collectionvery convenient. For example, a satellite in a sun-synchronous orbit couldmeasure the air quality of Ottawa at noon.

There is a special kind of sun-synchronous orbit called a dawn-to-duskorbit. In a dawn-to-dusk orbit, the satellite trails the Earth's shadow. When the sun shines on one side of the Earth, it casts a shadow on theopposite side of the Earth. (This shadow is night-time.) Because thesatellite never moves into this shadow, the sun's light is always on it(sort of like perpetual daytime). Since the satellite is close to theshadow, the part of the Earth the satellite is directly above is always atsunset or sunrise. That is why this kind of orbit is called a dawn-duskorbit. This allows the satellite to always have its solarpanels in the sun.

Indian app store. Generally, sun-synchronous orbits are medium or loworbits.

Synchronous Orbit Calculator

OrbitSynchronous Orbit

Radarsat is an example of a satellitein a low sun-synchronous orbit. Radarsat is in orbit 798 kilometres abovethe Earth, at an angle of inclination of 98.6 degreesto the equator as it circles the globe from pole to pole. Radarsat relieson its dawn-to-dusk orbit to keep its solar panels facing the sun almostconstantly. Radarsat can therefore rely mostly on solar power and not onbatteries.

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Synchronous Orbit Of Earth

Produced by Galactics.
Comments: galactics@spacesim.org.
Last updated on: 8 August 1997.