What is the significance of the ground track of a satellite moving west with each successive orbit?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the importance of a satellite's ground track when it moves west with each orbit. This involves understanding satellite orbits and how they interact with the Earth's rotation and geography.
Answer
The Earth's rotation causes the satellite's ground track to shift westward each orbit.
The westward shift of a satellite's ground track is due to the Earth's eastward rotation beneath the satellite's orbit. This shift is typically observed in Low Earth Orbits (LEO) and helps in covering different parts of the Earth's surface over successive passes.
Answer for screen readers
The westward shift of a satellite's ground track is due to the Earth's eastward rotation beneath the satellite's orbit. This shift is typically observed in Low Earth Orbits (LEO) and helps in covering different parts of the Earth's surface over successive passes.
More Information
This shift allows satellites to eventually cover the entire Earth's surface, which is particularly beneficial for observation and communication purposes.
Sources
- Satellite Ground Tracks - Sally Ride EarthKAM - earthkam.org
- Chapter 9 – Ground Tracks – Introduction to Orbital Mechanics - oer.pressbooks.pub
- Ground Track - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics - sciencedirect.com
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