satellite orbits and coordiantes (with elliptical orbits)
With this simulation you can explore the flight path of satellites. You can set the minimum flight altitude in meters, the orbital inclination in ° and the eccentricity of the orbit. The minimum flight altitude and the eccentricity give the semi-major axis of the satellite's elliptical orbit according to the formula: where is the radius of the earth.
The satellite's orbital period is calculated using the formula: where G is the gravitational constant and M is the mass of the earth.
The satellite's speed is calculated using the formula: where is the current flight altitude.
For research satellites it is important that the satellite has flown over every point on the earth after a certain time. Can you find such a setting?
What does a change in eccentricity do and what advantage could an elliptical satellite orbit have?