Flight Question trying to understand Geostationary / geosynchronous orbits

[ar81]

Velocity and altitude describe kinetic and potential energy.
In an orbit or in flight you exchange kinetic and potential enrgy.
However in atmoepheric flight there is an energy loss due to drag.

This is why periapsis burns are so efficient, because a small burn allows you to gain plenty of energy, much more than trying to gain useful energy elsewhere. This is what is called "Oberth effect".

Potential energy = m * g * h
Kinetic energy = 0.5 * m * v ^ 2

m = Mass of an object
g = gravity constant
h = height
v = velocity

 

[jedidia]

also, don't listen to captain Picard when he tells you to "establish a synchronous orbit above the pole" (which I heard him order a few times in the series) :lol:

 

[Urwumpe]

also, don't listen to captain Picard when he tells you to "establish a synchronous orbit above the pole" (which I heard him order a few times in the series) :lol:

Could also be a sun-synchronous orbit. :lol:

 

[tblaxland]

Could also be a sun-synchronous orbit. :lol:

Or a Lorentz Augmented Orbit (warning: 6MB pdf file): http://www.spacecraftresearch.com/files/StreetmanPeck_JGCD2007.pdf. For those not interested to read, it is a hypothetical type of polar orbit using a charged spacecraft that precesses in Earth's magnetic field at ~360° per day.

 

[N_Molson]

Actually you can perform a Geostationary at various inclinations. The satellite will follow a more or less distorted "8" course, with the two parts of the "8" crossing at the equator.

Here are some exemples

 

[spacekid1998]

Actually you can perform a Geostationary at various inclinations. The satellite will follow a more or less distorted "8" course, with the two parts of the "8" crossing at the equator.

Here are some exemples

yea but then its not strictly geostationary because its moving over points on earth

 

[garyw]

The most bizarre thing about orbits (For me anyway) is going slightly above geosync. Even though your velocity is prograde you end up orbiting retrograde. Nice way to drift to the right location but I still find it a little odd.

 

[Southwell]

@ spacekid1998 and N_Molson, would it not simply be a geosynchronous orbit once the inclination is not equal to zero, as it would only be in the same place in the sky once every 24 hours instead of being stationary in the sky