TABLE OF CONTENTS Roy Y. Myose
| a | semimajor axis length (defines the orbit size) | |
| E | eccentric anomaly angle (used for time of flight in elliptic orbit) | |
| F | hyperbolic eccentric anomaly angle (used for time of flight in hyperbolic orbit) | |
| H | angular momentum per unit mass | |
| p | semilatus rectum (defines the orbit size) | |
| r | radial distance (measured from center of gravitational body) | |
| T | orbital period (for circular and elliptic orbits) | |
| t | time since periapsis passage | |
| U | mechanical energy per unit mass (sum of kinetic and potential energies per unit mass) | |
| v | velocity | |
| ? | flight path angle (direction of velocity vector measured above horizon line) | |
| ? | eccentricity (defines the orbit shape) | |
| ? | true anomaly angle (measured in direction of travel from periapsis) | |
| ? | gravitational parameter |
| a | apoapsis (location in elliptic orbit farthest from gravitational body) | |
| c | condition corresponding to circular orbit | |
| p | periapsis (location in orbit closest to gravitational body) | |
| ? | condition where r = ? (for hyperbolic and parabolic orbits) |
Over the past 50 years, there have been significant achievements in the field of astronautics-astronauts have visited the moon, cosmonauts have stayed up in space for more than a year, and robotic probes have visited most of the planets in the solar system. Closer to home, there are hundreds of communication satellites circling the globe today. These satellites provide communication links between distance countries and help to support the...
