Most satellites belong to one of four broad mission families: communications, Earth observation, navigation, or science. Understanding which family a satellite belongs to explains most of its orbital choices.
Most satellites belong to one of four broad mission families: communications, Earth observation, navigation, or science. Understanding which family a satellite belongs to explains most of its orbital choices.
Without any mission data, the orbital regime alone lets you make a confident first guess about what a satellite does.
Orbital mechanics isn't chosen arbitrarily. Every altitude, inclination, and eccentricity is an engineering answer to a mission question. Reading the orbit means reading the intent.