Molniya orbit
E529484
A Molniya orbit is a highly elliptical, high-inclination Earth orbit designed to provide long-duration coverage over high latitudes, particularly useful for communications and observation of polar regions.
Statements (49)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Earth orbit
ⓘ
communications orbit ⓘ highly elliptical orbit ⓘ satellite orbit ⓘ |
| advantageOver | geostationary orbit for high-latitude coverage ⓘ |
| apoapsisLocation | high northern latitudes above Earth ⓘ |
| appliesTo | artificial Earth satellites ⓘ |
| benefit |
high elevation angles over target region
ⓘ
improved link budget for communications ⓘ long visibility periods from ground stations in high latitudes ⓘ reduced atmospheric attenuation at high latitudes ⓘ |
| designedFor |
communications in high-latitude regions
ⓘ
long-duration coverage over high latitudes ⓘ meteorological observation of high latitudes ⓘ military communications ⓘ observation of polar regions ⓘ television broadcasting to high latitudes ⓘ |
| developedBy | Soviet Union NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasCharacteristic |
argument of perigee near 270 degrees
ⓘ
frozen argument of perigee at critical inclination ⓘ ground track concentrated over high latitudes ⓘ high eccentricity ⓘ high inclination ⓘ long dwell time over northern hemisphere ⓘ short time near perigee over southern hemisphere ⓘ |
| limitationOf | geostationary satellites at high latitudes ⓘ |
| namedAfter | Soviet Molniya communications satellite program NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| periapsisLocation | southern hemisphere above Earth ⓘ |
| providesCoverage |
Arctic regions
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Russian territory at high latitudes ⓘ northern high-latitude regions ⓘ |
| relatedTo |
Tundra orbit
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
geosynchronous orbit ⓘ |
| requiresConstellationSize |
sometimes 2 satellites for partial coverage
ⓘ
typically 3 satellites for continuous coverage ⓘ |
| requiresStationKeeping | to maintain orbital parameters over time ⓘ |
| stabilityProperty | argument of perigee remains nearly fixed at critical inclination ⓘ |
| typicalApogeeAltitude | about 39,000 kilometers ⓘ |
| typicalEccentricity | high eccentricity ⓘ |
| typicalInclination |
63.3 degrees
ⓘ
63.4 degrees ⓘ |
| typicalOrbitalPeriod |
about 12 hours
ⓘ
half a sidereal day ⓘ |
| typicalPerigeeAltitude | about 500 to 1,000 kilometers ⓘ |
| usedBy |
Russian communications satellites
ⓘ
Soviet communications satellites ⓘ communications satellites for northern Canada ⓘ military early-warning satellites ⓘ |
| usesResonance | 2:1 resonance with Earth rotation ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
subject surface form:
Molniya-M