Sun-synchronous orbit
E259991
A Sun-synchronous orbit is a near-polar, low Earth orbit in which a satellite passes over any given point of the planet’s surface at the same local solar time, providing consistent lighting conditions for imaging and observation.
All labels observed (3)
| Label | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Sun-synchronous orbit canonical | 13 |
| Sun-synch orbit | 1 |
| Sun-synchronous LEO | 1 |
Statements (58)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
geocentric orbit
ⓘ
heliosynchronous orbit ⓘ low Earth orbit ⓘ near-polar orbit ⓘ |
| alsoKnownAs |
SSO
ⓘ
Sun-synchronous orbit ⓘ
surface form:
Sun-synch orbit
Sun-synchronous orbit ⓘ
surface form:
Sun-synchronous LEO
heliosynchronous orbit ⓘ |
| hasAdvantage |
consistent Sun elevation angle for images
ⓘ
good global coverage over time ⓘ predictable lighting conditions ⓘ simplified comparison of multi-temporal imagery ⓘ |
| hasAltitudeRange | approximately 500 to 1,000 kilometers ⓘ |
| hasDisadvantage |
higher inclination increases launch energy compared to equatorial LEO
ⓘ
limited revisit time for a single satellite ⓘ requires specific inclination and altitude combination ⓘ |
| hasKeyProperty |
orbit is retrograde
ⓘ
orbital plane precesses about 1 degree per day ⓘ precession of orbital plane matches apparent motion of the Sun ⓘ provides consistent lighting conditions for imaging ⓘ satellite passes over any given point at the same local solar time ⓘ |
| hasNodalPrecessionRate | approximately 360 degrees per year ⓘ |
| hasOrbitalPeriod | approximately 90 to 105 minutes ⓘ |
| hasTypicalAltitude | approximately 600 to 800 kilometers ⓘ |
| hasTypicalEccentricity |
low eccentricity
ⓘ
near-circular orbit ⓘ |
| hasTypicalInclination | approximately 96 to 99 degrees ⓘ |
| hasTypicalLocalTimeOfDescendingNode |
about 10:30 a.m. for many Earth observation missions
ⓘ
about 1:30 p.m. for some missions ⓘ |
| isCharacterizedBy |
fixed local solar time of ascending or descending node
ⓘ
ground track that shifts westward each orbit ⓘ near-polar inclination ⓘ regression of nodes due to Earth’s oblateness ⓘ |
| isDesignedFor |
Earth observation
ⓘ
cartography ⓘ climate research ⓘ disaster monitoring ⓘ environmental monitoring ⓘ land use monitoring ⓘ meteorological satellites ⓘ optical imaging ⓘ radar imaging ⓘ remote sensing ⓘ |
| isSubClassOf |
low Earth orbit
ⓘ
polar orbit ⓘ |
| isUsedBy |
Aqua satellite
ⓘ
ICESat missions ⓘ
surface form:
ICESat-2 satellite
Landsat satellites ⓘ SPOT Earth observation satellites ⓘ
surface form:
SPOT satellites
Sentinel satellites ⓘ
surface form:
Sentinel Earth observation satellites
Terra satellite ⓘ many weather and environmental satellites ⓘ |
| isUsedFor |
monitoring seasonal changes on Earth
ⓘ
multi-spectral imaging ⓘ synthetic aperture radar imaging ⓘ |
| requiresCondition |
nodal precession rate equals Earth’s mean motion around the Sun
ⓘ
specific combination of altitude and inclination to achieve Sun-synchronicity ⓘ |
| usesEarthOblateness | J2 perturbation causes nodal precession ⓘ |
Referenced by (15)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
Sun-synchronous LEO
this entity surface form:
Sun-synch orbit
subject surface form:
Akari