Inclined Orbit

Inclined Orbit (of English incline; . Ger " tend ", " oblique hang" ) generally refers to each orbit ( orbit ) with an orbital inclination (inclination ) towards the equatorial plane of the orbiting celestial body.

Inclined geosynchronous orbit

Normally, however, a special function, derived from geostationary orbit, geosynchronous orbit ( GEO) is called an artificial earth satellites with the term whose full name Inclined orbit is geosynchronous. In this orbit, the orbital period is geosynchronous, that is, it corresponds exactly to the period of rotation of the earth around its own axis ( 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4.09 seconds = 1 sidereal day). The orbital plane is but compared to the equatorial plane - usually only slightly - and inclined slightly elliptical.

This orbit variant is often chosen to use extension geostationary satellites whose fuel supplies are running low, but otherwise still function perfectly. A satellite in inclined orbit takes much less fuel correction to maintain its position, otherwise most of the corrections of a satellite in geostationary orbit is used, that the inclination of the web remains 0 °. As a result, the usable lifetime of the satellite be extended by approx 1-2 years before it needs to be brought into the cemetery orbit. However, satellites in inclined orbit no longer fixed on the horizon, as they make within 24 hours of a movement in the form of an 8.

After the first Kepler 's law, the orbital plane of the satellite must go through the center of the earth, so it comes to North-South deviation. The period is one sidereal day. Due to conservation of angular momentum, the trajectory is slightly elliptical. For an observer on Earth, the satellite therefore oscillates with a period of half a sidereal day between East and West.

Satellites in inclined orbit can therefore not be well received with fixed parabolic antennas, such as those be used for private satellite channels. This already financially amortized satellites are therefore rented for discounted fees for data transmission between professional ground stations, as these anyway need a antenna tracking from 5 m antenna diameter ( in normal GEO vary satellite easily, which is why very large highly directional antennas have to be tracked ) and therefore equal can correct the fluctuating position of the satellites.