Satellites Orbital Parameters

The table above shows the main parameters and information available for this satellite.

Satellite: This column shows the name of the object in orbit. In some cases the official name ends with the words R/B, meaning that it is a piece or any stage from some rocket booster.

Norad: North American Aerospace Defense Command, the Air Defence Command of the United States, responsible for the catalogue of objects in orbit. The number indicates the record of the satellite in the Norad archives.

Inclination: Angle formed between the orbit of the satellite and terrestrial line of the equator. Satellites with inclination of 0 degrees follow the equator line and are called equatorial orbit satellites. When the inclination is 90 degrees its orbit crosses the terrestrial poles and are called polar orbiting satellites. When the inclination is less or equal latitude of the place of observation, the satellite be seen directly if conditions permit.

Apogee: Maximum distance that the object is far from the center of the Earth.

Perigee: Highest approchement between the object and the center of the Earth. The figures shown already discounting the radius of the Earth, 6378 Km. One Perigee value equal to the value of Apogee indicates a circular orbit satellite.

Period: Value in minutes that a satellite takes to complete one orbit of perigee to perigee. Satellites in polar orbit, positioned at 800 km in altitude will take approximately 102 minutes to complete one revolution. The International Space Station, 350 km above the surface, completes its orbit in 90 minutes.

The lower the altitude of a satellite, more speed he needs to keep in orbit and not re-enters the atmosphere.

Geostationary satellites have a period of approximately 1436 minutes with inclination of 0 degrees (equatorial orbit). Because this is the same time it takes Earth to complete one turn on its axis, geostationary satellites appear static on the same geographic point. To this happens the satellite should be positioned about 36 thousand kilometers in altitude.

Note and Frequency: Filled with additional information where possible. The frequencies shown, when provided, are those captured by enthusiasts or informed by the official organizations of disclosure.

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