Explore LEO Satellite Orbits with this Activity

Explanations of Settings

  • 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.

Go BACK to the explore more satellite activities