[sci.space.shuttle] Orbits

sheppard@caen.engin.umich.edu (Ken Sheppardson) (12/18/88)

>>}Say again?  Any satellite orbit, over the long run, spends half its
>>}time with its ground track in the night hemisphere.
> 
>> False.
>> Visualize an orbit over the terminator...
> 
> The terminator moves.
> 
> Over the period of a year, the terminator moves 360 degrees (give or take
> a little depending on which "year" we're talking about).

So just put a satellite directly over the terminator about 2100000 km up
so that it's period is one year :)

Ken Sheppardson                                          sheppard@caen.engin.um.umich

peter@sugar.uu.net (Peter da Silva) (12/18/88)

In article <40506748.298d@dl298d.engin.umich.edu>, sheppard@caen.engin.umich.edu (Ken  Sheppardson) writes:
  Me:
> > Over the period of a year, the terminator moves 360 degrees (give or take
> > a little depending on which "year" we're talking about).

> So just put a satellite directly over the terminator about 2100000 km up
> so that it's period is one year :)

A bit far up for a spy satellite.
-- 
Peter "Have you hugged your wolf today" da Silva  `-_-'  peter@sugar.uu.net

jwm@stdc.jhuapl.edu (Jim Meritt) (12/23/88)

In article <3118@sugar.uu.net> peter@sugar.uu.net (Peter da Silva) writes:
}In article <40506748.298d@dl298d.engin.umich.edu>, sheppard@caen.engin.umich.edu (Ken  Sheppardson) writes:
}> So just put a satellite directly over the terminator about 2100000 km up
}> so that it's period is one year :)
}A bit far up for a spy satellite.

Sort of depends with what you are spying where on whom.  Close is not
always better.  Look up elint, for instance...


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