Gps Satellite Orbit Inclination

Any deviation in height or inclination will take the satellite out of a sun synchronous orbit.

Gps satellite orbit inclination.

It is the orbit used by the global positioning system gps satellites. As of august 2020 75 global positioning system navigation satellites have been launched 31 of which are operational 9 in reserve 3 being tested 30 have been retired and 2 were lost at launch. It is expressed as the angle between a reference plane and the orbital plane or axis of direction of the orbiting object. The path that a satellite has to travel to stay in a sun synchronous orbit is very narrow.

If a satellite is at a height of 100 kilometers it must have an orbital inclination of 96 degrees to maintain a sun synchronous orbit. The gps receiver needs 4 satellites to work out your position in 3 dimensions. The fourth gps iii satellite is scheduled to launch on friday october 2. This orbit is consistent and highly predictable.

The gps 3 sv04 satellite separates from the falcon 9 rocket in an elliptical transfer orbit with an apogee or high point near the altitude of the gps fleet located around 12 550 miles 22 200. At any inclination a geosynchronous orbit synchronizes with the rotation of the earth. Orbital inclination measures the tilt of an object s orbit around a celestial body. The constellation requires a minimum of 24 operational satellites and the official target count is 33.

This means that the same satellite reaches a certain position about 4 minutes earlier each day. In 24 hours the satellite crosses over the same two spots on the equator every day. The nominal gps satellite constellation consists of 24 space vehicles svs distributed in six orbital planes with an inclination of 55 degrees in relation to the equator. Glonass satellites operate in circular orbits at an altitude of 19100 km an inclination of 64 8 deg and each satellite completes the orbit in.

The space force successfully launched the third gps iii satellite into orbit. Orbits of the gps satellites distances are to scale the satellites orbit the earth with a speed of 3 9 km per second and have a circulation time of 12 h sidereal time corresponding to 11 h 58 min earth time. For a satellite orbiting the earth directly above the equator the plane of the satellite s orbit is the same as the earth s equatorial plane and the satellite s orbital inclination is 0. The gps space segment also consists of nominally 24 satellites which are however distributed over six orbital planes differing from plane to plane by 60 deg in longitude of the ascending node.

The launch window opens at 9 43 p m. View space force. View pre launch news release 2. View pre launch news release 1.

View pre launch news release 3. In addition the constellation has 3 backup satellites.