What are ground tracks?

What are ground tracks?

COE Determination

aei

?

?

?

?

?

?

COE Determination

Non-rotating Earth

Rotating Earth

COE Determination

Semimajor axis

Δ longitude

ΔN

P =ΔN

15º / hr

3a2P

aei

?

?

?

?

COE Determination

?

COE Determination

Eccentricity

Circle

COE Determination

Eccentricity

COE Determination

Eccentricity

Line Symmetry

Ellipse

COE Determination

Eccentricity

Line Symmetry

Ellipse

COE Determination

Eccentricity

Line Symmetry

Ellipse

COE Determination

Eccentricity

Line Symmetry

Ellipse

COE Determination

Eccentricity

Line Symmetry

Ellipse

COE Determination

Eccentricity

Line Symmetry

Ellipse

COE Determination

Eccentricity

Line Symmetry

Ellipse

COE Determination

Eccentricity

COE Determination

Eccentricity

Hinge Symmetry

Ellipse

COE Determination

Hinge Symmetry

Eccentricity

Ellipse

COE Determination

Hinge Symmetry

Eccentricity

Ellipse

COE Determination

Hinge Symmetry

Eccentricity

Ellipse

COE Determination

Hinge Symmetry

Eccentricity

Ellipse

COE Determination

Eccentricity

Hinge Symmetry

Ellipse

COE Determination

Eccentricity

COE Determination

Eccentricity

Line & Hinge

Circle

COE Determination

Eccentricity

Neither

Ellipse

COE Determination

Eccentricity

aei

?

?

?

?

COE Determination

~

COE Determination

Inclination

i = highest latitude

COE Determination

Inclination

i = 180º - highest latitude

COE Determination

Inclination

i = highest latitude

COE Determination

Inclination

i = 180º - highest latitude

aei

?

?

?

COE Determination

~

aei

?

?

COE Determination

~

COE Determination

Argument of Perigee

COE Determination

360º per orbit90º

180º

270º

360º

Ascending Node

Argument of Perigee

Perigee = 180

Perigee = 270

Perigee = 90

Perigee = 0

Hinge Symmetric Line Symmetric

COE Determination

Argument of Perigee

ω = 180º

COE Determination

Argument of Perigee

ω = 90º

COE Determination

Argument of Perigee

ω = 0º

COE Determination

Argument of Perigee

ω = 270º

COE Determination

Argument of Perigee

Hinge Symmetry

ω = 0º or 180º

COE Determination

Argument of Perigee

Line Symmetry

ω = 90º or 270º

aei

?

COE Determination

~

~

COE Determination

True Anomaly

COE Determination

True Anomaly

COE Determination

True Anomaly

Orbit Examples

Molniya

Geostationary

Geosynchronous

Geosynchronous

e = 0.8 = 180

e = 0.8 = 0

e = 0.0

Geosynchronous

e = 0i = 0

e = 0.4 = 180

e = 0.6 = 90