Tundra orbit
A tundra orbit is the highly elliptical orbit of a geosynchronous satellite with an inclination of mostly 63.4 °. The name comes from the interest her, satellite-based positioning - and transmission method in the farmed tundra zones in particular the northern hemisphere to make use.
Areas with a geographical latitude above 81.3 ° can not be covered by conventional, geostationary satellites due to their geometry - the flattening of the “globe” at the poles also plays a role. By contrast, four satellites in tundra orbits cover the entire surface of the earth , including the polar caps .
Satellites on Molnija orbits with a shorter orbit time of 12 hours and high eccentricity achieve comparable coverage . In a Molnija orbit, however, the satellite enters the Van Allen Belt every time it orbits the earth , which is a burden for the satellite electronics . In contrast, in tundra orbits, even the closest point to the earth is higher than the Van Allen belt.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Michel Capderou: Satellites: Orbits and Missions. Springer, Paris 2005, p. 228.