LEO Glossary

Altitude: is the distance above the Earth's surface a satellite orbits.

Inclination: The angle between the orbit plane and the Earth's equatorial plane, measured counter-clockwise. A zero inclination orbit would mean the satellite is orbiting directly over the equator, an inclination of 90 degrees is a perfectly polar orbit.

Period: The amount of time it takes a satellite to travel all the way around a planet. The orbital period of a satellite can be adjusted by changing the satellite's altitude. The lower the orbit, the faster it must travel to maintain its orbit.

Spot: The spatial area on the Earth represented by one data sample from a satellite sensor.

Swath Width: The observed width on the Earth's surface as the satellite passes roughly north-to-south or south-to-north.