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<title>Synchronous orbit</title>

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<span id="openzim-page-title" class="mw-page-title-main"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Synchronous orbit</span></span>

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<p>A <b>synchronous orbit</b> is an <a href="Orbit" title="Orbit">orbit</a> in which an orbiting body (usually a <a href="Satellite" title="Satellite">satellite</a>) has a period equal to the average rotational period of the body being orbited (usually a planet), and in the same direction of rotation as that body.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

</p>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Simplified_meaning">Simplified meaning</h2></div>

<p>A <a href="Synchronous" class="mw-redirect" title="Synchronous">synchronous</a> <a href="Orbit" title="Orbit">orbit</a> is an orbit in which the orbiting object (for example, an artificial satellite or a moon) takes the same amount of time to complete an orbit as it takes the object it is orbiting to rotate once.

</p>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Properties">Properties</h2></div>

<p>A satellite in a synchronous orbit that is both <a href="Equator" title="Equator">equatorial</a> and <a href="Circle" title="Circle">circular</a> will appear to be suspended motionless above a point on the orbited planet's equator. For synchronous satellites orbiting <a href="Earth" title="Earth">Earth</a>, this is also known as a <a href="Geostationary_orbit" title="Geostationary orbit">geostationary orbit</a>. However, a synchronous orbit need not be equatorial; nor circular. A body in a non-equatorial synchronous orbit will appear to oscillate north and south above a point on the planet's equator, whereas a body in an <a href="Ellipse" title="Ellipse">elliptical</a> orbit will appear to oscillate eastward and westward. As seen from the orbited body the combination of these two motions produces a figure-8 pattern called an <a href="Analemma" title="Analemma">analemma</a>.

</p>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Nomenclature">Nomenclature</h2></div>

<p>There are many specialized terms for synchronous orbits depending on the body orbited. The following are some of the more common ones. A synchronous orbit around <a href="Earth" title="Earth">Earth</a> that is circular and lies in the equatorial plane is called a <a href="Geostationary_orbit" title="Geostationary orbit">geostationary orbit</a>. The more general case, when the orbit is inclined to Earth's equator or is non-circular is called a <a href="Geosynchronous_orbit" title="Geosynchronous orbit">geosynchronous orbit</a>. The corresponding terms for synchronous orbits around <a href="Mars" title="Mars">Mars</a> are <a href="Areostationary_orbit" title="Areostationary orbit">areostationary</a> and <a href="Areosynchronous_orbit" title="Areosynchronous orbit">areosynchronous</a> orbits.

</p>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Formula">Formula</h2></div>

<p>For a stationary synchronous orbit:

</p>

<msub>

</mrow>

</msub>

<mroot>

<mfrac>

<mrow>

<msub>

</mrow>

</msub>

<msup>

</mrow>

</msup>

</mrow>

<mrow>

<msup>

</mrow>

</msup>

</mrow>

</mfrac>

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<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle R_{syn}={\sqrt[{3}]{G(m_{2})T^{2} \over 4\pi ^{2}}}}</annotation>

</semantics>

</math></span><img src="./83fd97ce16652a2e49ebcdb605c452685a0b81cd.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -3.005ex; width:20.334ex; height:7.676ex;" alt="{\displaystyle R_{syn}={\sqrt[{3}]{G(m_{2})T^{2} \over 4\pi ^{2}}}}" loading="lazy"></span><sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></dd>

<dd>G = <a href="Gravitational_constant" title="Gravitational constant">Gravitational constant</a></dd>

<dd>m<sub>2</sub> = Mass of the celestial body</dd>

<dd>T = <a href="Sidereal_time" title="Sidereal time">Sidereal</a> rotational period of the body</dd>

<msub>

</mrow>

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<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle R_{syn}}</annotation>

</semantics>

</math></span><img src="./a36e64d4ec4ccd38b24be56284adb8588964afe9.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -1.005ex; width:4.571ex; height:2.843ex;" alt="{\displaystyle R_{syn}}" loading="lazy"></span> = Radius of orbit</dd></dl>

<p>By this formula, one can find the synchronous orbital radius of a body, given its mass and sidereal rotational period.

</p><p>Orbital speed (how fast a satellite is moving through space) is calculated by multiplying the angular speed of the satellite by the orbital radius.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

</p><p>Due to obscure quirks of <a href="Orbital_mechanics" title="Orbital mechanics">orbital mechanics</a>, no <a href="Tidal_locking" title="Tidal locking">tidally locked</a> body in a 1:1 spin-orbit resonance (i.e. a moon locked to a planet or a planet locked to a star) can have a stable satellite in a synchronous orbit, as the synchronous orbital radius lies outside the body's <a href="Hill_sphere" title="Hill sphere">Hill sphere</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This is universal and irrespective of the masses and distances involved.

</p>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Examples">Examples</h2></div>

<p>An astronomical example is <a href="Pluto" title="Pluto">Pluto</a>'s largest moon <a href="Charon_(moon)" title="Charon (moon)">Charon</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

Much more commonly, synchronous orbits are employed by artificial satellites used for communication, such as <a href="Geostationary_satellites" class="mw-redirect" title="Geostationary satellites">geostationary satellites</a>.

</p><p>For natural satellites, which can attain a synchronous orbit only by <a href="Tidal_locking" title="Tidal locking">tidally locking</a> their parent body, it always goes in hand with <a href="Synchronous_rotation" class="mw-redirect" title="Synchronous rotation">synchronous rotation</a> of the satellite. This is because the smaller body becomes tidally locked faster, and by the time a synchronous orbit is achieved, it has had a locked synchronous rotation for a long time already.

</p><p>The following table lists select <a href="List_of_Solar_System_objects_by_size" title="List of Solar System objects by size">Solar System bodies</a>' masses, sidereal rotational periods, and the semi-major axises and altitudes of their synchronous orbital radii (calculated by the formula in the above section):

</p>

<th>Sidereal Rotation period</th>

<th>Semi-major axis of synchronous orbit (km)</th>

<th>Altitude of synchronous orbit (km)

</th>

<th>Synchronous orbit within <a href="Hill_sphere" title="Hill sphere">Hill sphere</a>?

</th></tr>

<tr>

<td><a href="Mercury_(planet)" title="Mercury (planet)">Mercury</a><sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></td>

<td>240,454 km

</td>

<td>No

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td><a href="Venus" title="Venus">Venus</a><sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></td>

<td>1,530,526 km

</td>

<td>No

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td><a href="Earth" title="Earth">Earth</a><sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></td>

<td>35,786 km

</td>

<td>Yes

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>86,715 km

</td>

<td>No

</td></tr>

<tr>

</td>

</td>

<td>24.6229 h

</td>

<td>20,428 km

</td>

<td>17,031 km

</td>

<td>Yes

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td><a href="Ceres_(dwarf_planet)" title="Ceres (dwarf planet)">Ceres</a><sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

</td>

</td>

<td>9.074 h

</td>

<td>1,192 km

</td>

<td>723 km

</td>

<td>Yes

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td><a href="Jupiter" title="Jupiter">Jupiter</a><sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

</td>

</td>

<td>9.925 h

</td>

<td>169,010 km

</td>

<td>88,518 km

</td>

<td>Yes

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td><a href="Saturn" title="Saturn">Saturn</a><sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

</td>

</td>

<td>10.656 h

</td>

<td>112,239 km

</td>

<td>51,971 km

</td>

<td>Yes

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td><a href="Uranus" title="Uranus">Uranus</a><sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

</td>

</td>

<td>17.24 h

</td>

<td>82,686 km

</td>

<td>57,127 km

</td>

<td>Yes

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td><a href="Neptune" title="Neptune">Neptune</a><sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

</td>

</td>

<td>16.11 h

</td>

<td>83,508 km

</td>

<td>58,744 km

</td>

<td>Yes

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td><a href="Pluto" title="Pluto">Pluto</a><sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

</td>

</td>

<td>153.2928 h

</td>

<td>18,860 km

</td>

<td>17,672 km

</td>

<td>Yes

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<ul><li><a href="Subsynchronous_orbit" title="Subsynchronous orbit">Subsynchronous orbit</a></li>

<li><a href="Supersynchronous_orbit" title="Supersynchronous orbit">Supersynchronous orbit</a></li>

<li><a href="Graveyard_orbit" title="Graveyard orbit">Graveyard orbit</a></li>

<li><a href="Tidal_locking" title="Tidal locking">Tidal locking</a> (synchronous rotation)</li>

<li><a href="Sun-synchronous_orbit" title="Sun-synchronous orbit">Sun-synchronous orbit</a></li>

<li><a href="List_of_orbits" title="List of orbits">List of orbits</a></li></ul>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>

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</style><cite id="CITEREFHolli2009" class="citation web cs1">Holli, Riebeek (2009-09-04). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/OrbitsCatalog/">"Catalog of Earth Satellite Orbits : Feature Articles"</a>. <i>earthobservatory.nasa.gov</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2016-05-08</span></span>.</cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation news cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.askwillonline.com/2012/12/calculating-radius-of-geostationary.html">"Calculating the Radius of a Geostationary Orbit - Ask Will Online"</a>. <i>Ask Will Online</i>. 2012-12-27<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2017-11-21</span></span>.</cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">see <a href="Circular_motion#Formulas" title="Circular motion">Circular motion#Formulas</a></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/20499/is-it-possible-to-achieve-a-stable-selenostationary-orbit-around-the-moon/55436#55436">"Is it possible to achieve a stable "selenostationary" orbit around the Moon?"</a>. <i>Astronomy Stack Exchange</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2025-05-29</span></span>.</cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFS.A._Stern1992" class="citation journal cs1">S.A. Stern (1992). "The Pluto-Charon system". <i>Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics</i>. <b>30</b>: 190. <a href="Bibcode_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Bibcode (identifier)">Bibcode</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1992ARA&A..30..185S">1992ARA&A..30..185S</a>. <a href="Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1146%2Fannurev.aa.30.090192.001153">10.1146/annurev.aa.30.090192.001153</a>. <q>Charon's orbit is (a) synchronous with Pluto's rotation and (b) highly inclined to the plane of the ecliptic.</q></cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/mercuryfact.html">"Mercury Fact Sheet"</a>. <i>nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2025-05-30</span></span>.</cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/venusfact.html">"Venus Fact Sheet"</a>. <i>nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2025-05-30</span></span>.</cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/earthfact.html">"Earth Fact Sheet"</a>. <i>nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2025-05-30</span></span>.</cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/moonfact.html">"Moon Fact Sheet"</a>. <i>nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2025-05-30</span></span>.</cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/marsfact.html">"Mars Fact Sheet"</a>. <i>nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2025-05-30</span></span>.</cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/asteroidfact.html">"Asteroid Fact Sheet"</a>. <i>nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2025-05-30</span></span>.</cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/jupiterfact.html">"Jupiter Fact Sheet"</a>. <i>nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2025-05-30</span></span>.</cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/saturnfact.html">"Saturn Fact Sheet"</a>. <i>nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2025-05-30</span></span>.</cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-14">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/uranusfact.html">"Uranus Fact Sheet"</a>. <i>nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2025-05-30</span></span>.</cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/neptunefact.html">"Neptune Fact Sheet"</a>. <i>nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2025-05-30</span></span>.</cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-16">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/plutofact.html">"Pluto Fact Sheet"</a>. <i>nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2025-05-30</span></span>.</cite></span>

</li>

</ol></div></div>

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</style><span class="citation 1037C"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span></span></span> This article incorporates <a href="Copyright_status_of_works_by_the_federal_government_of_the_United_States" title="Copyright status of works by the federal government of the United States">public domain material</a> from <cite class="citation cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220122224547/https://www.its.bldrdoc.gov/fs-1037/fs-1037c.htm"><i>Federal Standard 1037C</i></a>. <a href="General_Services_Administration" title="General Services Administration">General Services Administration</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.its.bldrdoc.gov/fs-1037/fs-1037c.htm">the original</a> on 2022-01-22.</cite></span></li></ul>

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</style><div id="Gravitational_orbits256" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em">Gravitational <a href="Orbit" title="Orbit">orbits</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="List_of_orbits" title="List of orbits">Types</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:6em">General</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<li><a href="Parabolic_trajectory" title="Parabolic trajectory">Capture</a></li>

<li><a href="Circular_orbit" title="Circular orbit">Circular</a></li>

<li><a href="Elliptic_orbit" title="Elliptic orbit">Elliptical</a> / <a href="Highly_elliptical_orbit" title="Highly elliptical orbit">Highly elliptical</a></li>

<li><a href="Parabolic_trajectory" title="Parabolic trajectory">Escape</a></li>

<li><a href="Horseshoe_orbit" title="Horseshoe orbit">Horseshoe</a></li>

<li><a href="Hyperbolic_trajectory" title="Hyperbolic trajectory">Hyperbolic trajectory</a></li>

<li><a href="Inclined_orbit" title="Inclined orbit">Inclined</a> / <a href="Non-inclined_orbit" class="mw-redirect" title="Non-inclined orbit">Non-inclined</a></li>

<li><a href="Kepler_orbit" title="Kepler orbit">Kepler</a></li>

<li><a href="Lagrange_point" title="Lagrange point">Lagrange point</a></li>

<li><a href="Osculating_orbit" title="Osculating orbit">Osculating</a></li>

<li><a href="Parabolic_trajectory" title="Parabolic trajectory">Parabolic trajectory</a></li>

<li><a href="Parking_orbit" title="Parking orbit">Parking</a></li>

<li><a href="Retrograde_and_prograde_motion" title="Retrograde and prograde motion">Prograde / Retrograde</a></li>

<li>

<li><a href="Hohmann_transfer_orbit" title="Hohmann transfer orbit">Transfer orbit</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:6em"><a href="Geocentric_orbit" title="Geocentric orbit">Geocentric</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Geosynchronous_orbit" title="Geosynchronous orbit">Geosynchronous</a>

<ul><li><a href="Geostationary_orbit" title="Geostationary orbit">Geostationary</a></li>

<li><a href="Geostationary_transfer_orbit" title="Geostationary transfer orbit">Geostationary transfer</a></li></ul></li>

<li><a href="Graveyard_orbit" title="Graveyard orbit">Graveyard</a></li>

<li><a href="High_Earth_orbit" title="High Earth orbit">High Earth</a></li>

<li><a href="Low_Earth_orbit" title="Low Earth orbit">Low Earth</a></li>

<li><a href="Medium_Earth_orbit" title="Medium Earth orbit">Medium Earth</a></li>

<li><a href="Molniya_orbit" title="Molniya orbit">Molniya</a></li>

<li><a href="Near-equatorial_orbit" title="Near-equatorial orbit">Near-equatorial</a></li>

<li><a href="Orbit_of_the_Moon" title="Orbit of the Moon">Orbit of the Moon</a></li>

<li><a href="Polar_orbit" title="Polar orbit">Polar</a></li>

<li><a href="Sun-synchronous_orbit" title="Sun-synchronous orbit">Sun-synchronous</a></li>

<li><a href="Transatmospheric_orbit" title="Transatmospheric orbit">Transatmospheric</a></li>

<li><a href="Tundra_orbit" title="Tundra orbit">Tundra</a></li>

<li><a href="Very_low_Earth_orbit" title="Very low Earth orbit">Very low Earth</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:6em">About<br>other points</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li>Mars

<ul><li><a href="Areocentric_orbit" title="Areocentric orbit">Areocentric</a></li>

<li><a href="Areosynchronous_orbit" title="Areosynchronous orbit">Areosynchronous</a></li>

<li><a href="Areostationary_orbit" title="Areostationary orbit">Areostationary</a></li></ul></li>

<li>Lagrange points

<ul><li><a href="Distant_retrograde_orbit" title="Distant retrograde orbit">Distant retrograde</a></li>

<li><a href="Lissajous_orbit" title="Lissajous orbit">Lissajous</a></li>

<li><a href="Libration_point_orbit" title="Libration point orbit">Libration</a></li></ul></li>

<li><a href="Lunar_orbit" title="Lunar orbit">Lunar</a></li>

<li>Sun

<ul><li><a href="Heliocentric_orbit" title="Heliocentric orbit">Heliocentric</a>

<ul><li><a href="Earth's_orbit" title="Earth's orbit">Earth's orbit</a></li></ul></li>

<li><a href="Mars_cycler" title="Mars cycler">Mars cycler</a></li>

<li><a href="Sun-synchronous_orbit" title="Sun-synchronous orbit">Heliosynchronous</a></li></ul></li>

<li>Other

<ul><li><a href="Lunar_cycler" title="Lunar cycler">Lunar cycler</a></li></ul></li></ul>

</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Orbital_elements" title="Orbital elements">Parameters</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:6em"><div class="hlist"><ul><li>Shape</li><li>Size</li></ul></div></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><span class="texhtml mvar" style="font-style:italic;">e</span>  <a href="Orbital_eccentricity" title="Orbital eccentricity">Eccentricity</a></li>

<li><span class="texhtml mvar" style="font-style:italic;">a</span>  <a href="Semi-major_and_semi-minor_axes" title="Semi-major and semi-minor axes">Semi-major axis</a></li>

<li><span class="texhtml mvar" style="font-style:italic;">b</span>  <a href="Semi-major_and_semi-minor_axes" title="Semi-major and semi-minor axes">Semi-minor axis</a></li>

<li><span class="texhtml mvar" style="font-style:italic;">Q</span>, <span class="texhtml mvar" style="font-style:italic;">q</span>  <a href="Apsis" title="Apsis">Apsides</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:6em">Orientation</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><span class="texhtml mvar" style="font-style:italic;">i</span>  <a href="Orbital_inclination" title="Orbital inclination">Inclination</a></li>

<li><span class="texhtml mvar" style="font-style:italic;">Ω</span>  <a href="Longitude_of_the_ascending_node" title="Longitude of the ascending node">Longitude of the ascending node</a></li>

<li><span class="texhtml mvar" style="font-style:italic;">ω</span>  <a href="Argument_of_periapsis" title="Argument of periapsis">Argument of periapsis</a></li>

<li><span class="texhtml mvar" style="font-style:italic;">ϖ</span>  <a href="Longitude_of_the_periapsis" class="mw-redirect" title="Longitude of the periapsis">Longitude of the periapsis</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:6em">Position</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><span class="texhtml mvar" style="font-style:italic;">M</span>  <a href="Mean_anomaly" title="Mean anomaly">Mean anomaly</a></li>

<li><span class="texhtml mvar" style="font-style:italic;">ν</span>, <span class="texhtml mvar" style="font-style:italic;">θ</span>, <span class="texhtml mvar" style="font-style:italic;">f</span>  <a href="True_anomaly" title="True anomaly">True anomaly</a></li>

<li><span class="texhtml mvar" style="font-style:italic;">E</span>  <a href="Eccentric_anomaly" title="Eccentric anomaly">Eccentric anomaly</a></li>

<li><span class="texhtml mvar" style="font-style:italic;">L</span>  <a href="Mean_longitude" title="Mean longitude">Mean longitude</a></li>

<li><span class="texhtml mvar" style="font-style:italic;">l</span>  <a href="True_longitude" title="True longitude">True longitude</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:6em">Variation</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><span class="texhtml mvar" style="font-style:italic;">T</span>  <a href="Orbital_period" title="Orbital period">Orbital period</a></li>

<li><span class="texhtml mvar" style="font-style:italic;">n</span>  <a href="Mean_motion" title="Mean motion">Mean motion</a></li>

<li><span class="texhtml mvar" style="font-style:italic;">v</span>  <a href="Orbital_speed" title="Orbital speed">Orbital speed</a></li>

<li><span class="texhtml"><i>t</i><sub>0</sub></span>  <a href="Epoch_(astronomy)" title="Epoch (astronomy)">Epoch</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Orbital_maneuver" title="Orbital maneuver">Maneuvers</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Bi-elliptic_transfer" title="Bi-elliptic transfer">Bi-elliptic transfer</a></li>

<li><a href="Collision_avoidance_(spacecraft)" title="Collision avoidance (spacecraft)">Collision avoidance (spacecraft)</a></li>

<li><a href="Delta-v" title="Delta-v">Delta-v</a></li>

<li><a href="Delta-v_budget" title="Delta-v budget">Delta-v budget</a></li>

<li><a href="Gravity_assist" title="Gravity assist">Gravity assist</a></li>

<li><a href="Gravity_turn" title="Gravity turn">Gravity turn</a></li>

<li><a href="Hohmann_transfer_orbit" title="Hohmann transfer orbit">Hohmann transfer</a></li>

<li><a href="Orbital_inclination_change" title="Orbital inclination change">Inclination change</a></li>

<li><a href="Low-energy_transfer" title="Low-energy transfer">Low-energy transfer</a></li>

<li><a href="Oberth_effect" title="Oberth effect">Oberth effect</a></li>

<li><a href="Orbit_phasing" title="Orbit phasing">Phasing</a></li>

<li><a href="Tsiolkovsky_rocket_equation" title="Tsiolkovsky rocket equation">Rocket equation</a></li>

<li><a href="Space_rendezvous" title="Space rendezvous">Rendezvous</a></li>

<li><a href="Trans-lunar_injection" title="Trans-lunar injection">Trans-lunar injection</a></li>

<li><a href="Transposition%2C_docking%2C_and_extraction" title="Transposition, docking, and extraction">Transposition, docking, and extraction</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Orbital_mechanics" title="Orbital mechanics">Orbital<br>mechanics</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Astronomical_coordinate_systems" title="Astronomical coordinate systems">Astronomical coordinate systems</a></li>

<li><a href="Characteristic_energy" title="Characteristic energy">Characteristic energy</a></li>

<li><a href="Escape_velocity" title="Escape velocity">Escape velocity</a></li>

<li><a href="Ephemeris" title="Ephemeris">Ephemeris</a></li>

<li><a href="Equatorial_coordinate_system" title="Equatorial coordinate system">Equatorial coordinate system</a></li>

<li><a href="Ground_track" class="mw-redirect" title="Ground track">Ground track</a></li>

<li><a href="Hill_sphere" title="Hill sphere">Hill sphere</a></li>

<li><a href="Interplanetary_Transport_Network" title="Interplanetary Transport Network">Interplanetary Transport Network</a></li>

<li><a href="Kepler's_laws_of_planetary_motion" title="Kepler's laws of planetary motion">Kepler's laws of planetary motion</a></li>

<li><a href="Kozai_mechanism" title="Kozai mechanism">Kozai mechanism</a></li>

<li><a href="Lagrange_point" title="Lagrange point">Lagrangian point</a></li>

<li><a href="N-body_problem" title="N-body problem"><i>n</i>-body problem</a></li>

<li><a href="Orbit_equation" title="Orbit equation">Orbit equation</a></li>

<li><a href="Orbital_state_vectors" title="Orbital state vectors">Orbital state vectors</a></li>

<li><a href="Perturbation_(astronomy)" title="Perturbation (astronomy)">Perturbation</a></li>

<li><a href="Retrograde_and_prograde_motion" title="Retrograde and prograde motion">Retrograde and prograde motion</a></li>

<li><a href="Specific_orbital_energy" title="Specific orbital energy">Specific orbital energy</a></li>

<li><a href="Specific_angular_momentum" title="Specific angular momentum">Specific angular momentum</a></li>

<li><a href="Two-line_element_set" title="Two-line element set">Two-line elements</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div>

<ul><li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span title="List-Class article"></span></span> <a href="List_of_orbits" title="List of orbits">List of orbits</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div><div class="zim-footer">

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