Q 3.1 What types of satellite orbits are used in satellite communication and what are their respective coverages on the Earth?
Orbit selection for satellite communication depends on the desired coverage area and mission objectives (e.g. global coverage or regional, mobile…
Q 3.2 How are satellites tracked in real time?
Earth stations track satellites by directing their antenna by the difference between the estimated position of the satellite and existing…
Q 3.3 What is orbital debris and how are they tracked?
There are a number of specialized dedicated systems for tracking useless pieces of natural space objects such as meteorites and…
Q 3.4 How are satellites located in space?
Satellite position in space at any instant is uniquely defined by a set of six orbital parameters – semi-major axis,…
Q 3.5 What is the relationship between orbital velocity, time period and height of satellite?
A first-order behaviour of satellite motion can be explained by considering only the gravitational force of the Earth as this…
Q 3.6 What is the distance between the Earth and satellite?
Distance between an observer and satellite depends on the location of the observer with respect to the satellite. A satellite…
Q 3.7 Can an orbiting satellite fall on the Earth?
The answer is yes but rarely. Satellites and orbital debris such as spent parts of rockets fall on the Earth…
Q 3.8 Is it possible to predict the orbital lifetime of a satellite?
The physical lifetime of space object is predicted by its initial satellite orbital parameters, the object’s mass to cross-sectional area…
Q 3.9 Has an orbiting satellite ever fallen on the Earth? If so, please give examples.
Instances of (uncontrolled and controlled) re-entry of man-made space objects into the Earth’s atmosphere are reported regularly. A vast majority…
Q 3.10 What is the chance of an individual being struck by a falling space debris?
To determine accurately the probability of a person being struck by space debris is at best an educated guess due…