How Do You Calculate Speed In An Elliptical Orbit?
Orbiting objects always trace out an ellipse as they revolve around a larger body. An ellipse is basically a flattened circle with different distances to its center along its two perpendicular axes. These distances are known as the semi-major and semi-minor axis lengths. The speed of an orbiting object constantly varies as its altitude changes and some of the potential energy of its altitude is converted into motion. The maximum speed occurs at its perigee and the minimum at the apogee. Velocities are calculated with an equation that uses the object’s altitude and some fixed parameters of the orbit. Write down the two parameters that define the orbit: the maximum and minimum altitudes above the earth. Also make a note of the altitude of the object at the position where the velocity will be found. You can use kilometers or miles. Calculate the length of the orbiting object’s semi-major axis by adding its maximum and minimum altitudes, dividing by two, and then adding the radius of the e
