The ground track is the path the satellite traces over Earth's surface. The orbital plane is fixed in inertial space. Earth rotates underneath it.
The ground track is the path the satellite traces over Earth's surface. The orbital plane is fixed in inertial space. Earth rotates underneath it.
The classic sinusoidal ground track shape emerges from two combined motions — fast orbital speed versus slow Earth rotation.
When you use Orbital Radar, you're looking at both views simultaneously — and they answer different questions.
The orbit itself is simple. The ground track is the product of two independent motions — and it's the one that matters for coverage, revisit, and targeting.