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| products:ict:communications:satellite:two_day_orbits [2024/03/31 16:16] – created wikiadmin | products:ict:communications:satellite:two_day_orbits [2024/03/31 16:56] (current) – wikiadmin |
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| A "two-day orbit" refers to an orbit around a celestial body with a period of approximately two Earth days. Satellites in such orbits typically have relatively short orbital periods compared to those in higher orbits like geostationary orbit (GEO) or medium Earth orbit (MEO), but longer than those in low Earth orbit (LEO). Here's an overview: | |
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| ### Characteristics: | |
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| 1. **Orbital Period**: Satellites in a two-day orbit complete one orbit around the Earth in approximately two Earth days. This means they circle the Earth once every two days. | [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HytJn6uaRk| |
| | The Unusual Earth Orbit Circling Above Our Ancient Past - Roger G. Gilbertson - TEDxColoradoSprings ]] |
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| 2. **Altitude**: The altitude of a satellite in a two-day orbit can vary depending on its specific orbital parameters and the intended application. However, these orbits typically fall within the range of medium Earth orbits (MEO), which can extend up to several thousand kilometers above the Earth's surface. | |
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| 3. **Coverage and Visibility**: Satellites in a two-day orbit provide coverage over larger areas of the Earth's surface compared to lower Earth orbits (LEO). They offer intermediate visibility and coverage compared to LEO and geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites. | |
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| 4. **Applications**: Two-day orbit satellites may be used for various applications, including communication, Earth observation, remote sensing, and scientific research. These orbits offer a balance between coverage, revisit time, and orbital dynamics, making them suitable for a range of mission requirements. | |
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| ### Applications: | |
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| 1. **Communication**: Satellites in two-day orbits can provide communication services, including broadband internet access, data transmission, and telecommunication services, to users over a wide geographic area. These satellites can serve regions where terrestrial infrastructure is limited or unavailable. | |
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| 2. **Earth Observation**: Two-day orbit satellites are well-suited for Earth observation and remote sensing applications. They can capture high-resolution images and data about the Earth's surface, atmosphere, and natural phenomena for environmental monitoring, disaster management, and scientific research. | |
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| 3. **Navigation Augmentation**: Some satellite navigation systems, such as the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), use satellites in medium Earth orbits (MEO) to augment positioning, navigation, and timing services provided by global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). | |
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| 4. **Scientific Research**: Two-day orbit satellites may be used for scientific research missions, including space exploration, astronomy, and planetary observation. These satellites can study celestial bodies, cosmic phenomena, and the space environment from vantage points above the Earth's atmosphere. | |
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| ### Advantages: | |
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| 1. **Coverage and Revisit Time**: Satellites in two-day orbits offer relatively wide coverage of the Earth's surface and shorter revisit times compared to higher-altitude orbits like geostationary orbit (GEO). This enables more frequent monitoring and data collection over specific regions of interest. | |
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| 2. **Visibility**: Satellites in two-day orbits maintain continuous visibility of the Earth's surface over a wide area, allowing for uninterrupted communication links and data transmission to ground stations. | |
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| 3. **Orbital Dynamics**: Two-day orbits provide a balance between orbital dynamics, coverage area, and revisit time, making them suitable for various applications requiring global or regional coverage. | |
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| ### Challenges and Considerations: | |
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| 1. **Launch and Deployment**: Launching satellites into two-day orbits requires dedicated launch vehicles capable of delivering payloads to the desired orbital altitude and inclination. Deployment and maintenance of satellites in these orbits can be complex and costly. | |
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| 2. **Orbital Decay**: Satellites in two-day orbits experience orbital decay due to gravitational effects and atmospheric drag. Without periodic adjustments or propulsion systems, these satellites may eventually re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up. | |
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| 3. **Interference and Spectrum Management**: Satellite operators must coordinate frequency assignments and manage spectrum allocation to minimize interference between satellites in two-day orbits and other satellite systems. | |
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| 4. **End-of-Life Disposal**: At the end of their operational life, satellites in two-day orbits must be maneuvered into a graveyard orbit or deorbited safely to prevent collisions with operational satellites and reduce the risk of space debris. | |
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| ### Future Trends and Developments: | |
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| 1. **Advanced Payloads**: Advances in satellite technology, including high-resolution imaging sensors, multi-band communication transponders, and on-board processing capabilities, may enhance the capabilities of two-day orbit satellites for various applications. | |
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| 2. **Inter-Satellite Links**: Future satellite constellations in two-day orbits may incorporate inter-satellite links (ISLs) to enable direct communication between satellites, improving network performance, redundancy, and resilience. | |
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| 3. **Space Traffic Management**: Efforts to address space traffic management, orbital debris mitigation, and collision avoidance are essential for ensuring the long-term sustainability of satellite operations in two-day orbits and preventing collisions with operational satellites and space debris. | |
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| In conclusion, satellites in two-day orbits offer a balance between coverage, revisit time, and orbital dynamics, making them suitable for a range of communication, Earth observation, navigation, and scientific research applications. With advancements in technology and increasing demand for global connectivity and data services, two-day orbit satellites are expected to continue evolving and playing a significant role in shaping the future of satellite-based infrastructure and services. However, addressing challenges related to launch, deployment, spectrum management, and space traffic management will be essential to ensure the long-term viability and responsible use of two-day orbit satellite technology. | |
