Semi-synchronous orbit

A semi-synchronous orbit is an orbit with a period equal to half the average rotational period of the body being orbited, and in the same direction as that body's rotation.

For Earth, a semi-synchronous orbit is considered a medium Earth orbit, with a period of just under 12 hours. For circular orbits, the altitude is approximately 20,200 km.[1][2]

Semi-synchronous orbits are typical for GPS satellites.

See also

References

  1. "NASA Technical Standard 8719.14 (draft)" (PDF). NASA Orbital Debris Program Office. 8 Aug 2006.
  2. "Catalog of Earth Satellite Orbits". 6 Sep 2012.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 7/30/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.