Idstein
Flensburg
Wien
North Sea
Offenbach
Inclination
  • Inclination:
    The angle between the Earth's equatorial plane and the orbital plane is called inclination and measured relative to the Earth's orbital plane as shown in the figure. If the inclination lies between 0° and 90°, it is called a prograde orbit, as the satellite is moving in an eastern direction.
    An Inclination between 90° and 180° is called retrograde, as the satellite moves in a western direction.

  • Right Ascension of the Ascending Node:
    The angle between the Vernal Equinox (The X-axis of the ECI frame) and the line, which is given by the intersection between the orbital plane of the satellite orbit and the equatorial plane of earth as shown in the next figure. The Right Ascension of Ascending Node
    The ascending node is a line given by the two points where a satellite passes through the Earth's equatorial plane while moving up over the equatorial plane (Shown on the figure as darkened orbit part) and going down below it again.

  • Eccentricity:
    The eccentricity defines how elliptical or circular an orbit is. An eccentricity of 0 is equal to a circular orbit, while an elliptic orbit has an eccentricity between 0 and 1, a parabolic orbit approximately 1 and a hyperbolic orbit above 1.

  • Argument of Perigee:
    The argument of perigee is the angle between the ascending node (Line of nodes) and perigee as shown in the next figure.
    The Perigee is the line going from center of the Earth to the perihelion.
    Parameters defining the satellite position in orbit The perihelion is on the opposite side from the aphelion, which is the point where the satellite is most distant from the center of Earth.
    The semi major axis is equal to the largest radius of the elliptic orbit with respect to its center.