Table of Contents

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Geosynchronous - $T$ is 24 hours (or equal to the period of rotation for the orbiting body)

Geostationary - special case of geosynchronous, where the orbit is equatorial, i.e. inclination of $0°$.

Note that inclination means relative to the equatorial orbit.

Sun synchronous

Changing radius

For example, if we are rocketing, we can increase $v$ with a booster rocket, so they will spiral outwards.

We can use this booster rocket to achieve a specific orbit, once at the correct height (this requires maintaining a new velocity)

If you don't change the velocity after going to a different height, then you may have an elliptical orbit.

In real life we would use a retrograde booster.

But from $v^{2}=\frac{GM}{r^{2}}$, a lower $r$ means $v$ must be greater.

This can be seen as an energy conversion, i.e. your $E_{p}$ is being converted to $E_{k}$ as you go closer to the body of mass, so you have a greater velocity.

If you don't correct for a faster velocity, you will die :(

Catalogue of Earth Satellite Orbits