Every satellite has a footprint — the region on Earth's surface within line-of-sight at a given minimum elevation angle. Its shape and size depend primarily on altitude.
Every satellite has a footprint — the region on Earth's surface within line-of-sight at a given minimum elevation angle. Its shape and size depend primarily on altitude.
A satellite technically in line-of-sight doesn't mean it's usable. Low elevation angles mean the signal travels through more atmosphere — and often more obstacles.
Near-polar orbits sweep across every longitude over time, giving global access that equatorial orbits simply cannot provide.
Understanding footprint geometry is the foundation for all constellation design: how many satellites, at what altitude, in what planes, to cover which targets, how often.