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Ecliptic orbit: A non-inclined orbit with respect to the ecliptic. Equatorial orbit: A non-inclined orbit with respect to the equator. Near equatorial orbit: An orbit whose inclination with respect to the equatorial plane is nearly zero. This orbit allows for rapid revisit times (for a single orbiting spacecraft) of near equatorial ground sites.
A non-inclined orbit is an orbit coplanar with a plane of reference.The orbital inclination is 0° for prograde orbits, and π (180°) for retrograde ones. [citation needed]If the plane of reference is a massive spheroid body's equatorial plane, these orbits are called equatorial, and the non-inclined orbit is merely a special case of the near-equatorial orbit.
A low Earth orbit (LEO) depot's primary function would be to provide propellant to a transfer stage headed to the Moon, Mars, or possibly a geosynchronous orbit. Since all or a fraction of the transfer stage propellant can be off-loaded, the separately launched spacecraft with payload and/or crew could have a larger mass or use a smaller launch ...
In this case, non-inclined orbits are called equatorial. [2] For a heliocentric orbit, the ecliptic or invariable plane. In this case, non-inclined orbits are called ecliptic. [2] For an orbit outside the Solar System, the plane through the primary perpendicular to a line through the observer and the primary (called the plane of the sky). [3]
From a circular orbit, thrust applied in a direction opposite to the satellite's motion changes the orbit to an elliptical one; the satellite will descend and reach the lowest orbital point (the periapse) at 180 degrees away from the firing point; then it will ascend back. The period of the resultant orbit will be less than that of the original ...
Getting there requires a geostationary transfer orbit with an apogee directly above the equator. Unless the launch site itself is quite close to the equator, it requires an impractically large amount of fuel to launch a spacecraft directly into such an orbit. Instead, the craft is placed with an upper stage in an inclined parking orbit.
The longitude of the ascending node, also known as the right ascension of the ascending node, is one of the orbital elements used to specify the orbit of an object in space. Denoted with the symbol Ω , it is the angle from a specified reference direction, called the origin of longitude , to the direction of the ascending node (☊), as ...
For spacecraft in a very low orbit, the atmospheric drag is sufficiently strong to cause a re-entry before the intended end of mission if orbit raising maneuvers are not executed from time to time. An example of this is the International Space Station (ISS), which has an operational altitude above Earth's surface of between 400 and 430 km (250 ...