TABLE OF CONTENTS Satellite orbits are the paths relative to a specified frame of reference described by the center of mass of a satellite or other object in space subjected solely to natural forces (mainly gravitational attraction).
The orbit of satellites is determined by orbital mechanics. Orbital mechanics is the science that is used to understand, determine and estimate the orbit of a satellite. Orbital mechanics can be described by Kepler s laws.
Kepler s laws of planetary motion are a set of rules defined by the scientist Kepler about the orbits of planets around the sun that include elliptical orbits, equal time intervals and orbital time periods. Kepler s laws can be applied to the orbit of man made satellites around the Earth.
Kepler s first law of planetary motion is the rule that the orbital paths of the planets (satellites) are elliptical with the sun (focal point) at one focus of the ellipse.
For satellites that orbit around the Earth, the orbital point that has the largest distance from the center of the Earth is called the Apogee. This distance can be used to calculate the worst case transmission loss and delay time. The Perigee point is the orbital point of a satellite that is at a minimum distance from the center of the Earth.
Figure 13 shows a Kepler s first law of a satellite orbital path. This diagram shows that an orbital path has an elliptical shape where it revolves around a focal point (such as the...
