Matched to GCSE Physics Space physics (separate science only: the solar system, orbits, natural and artificial satellites), plus circular motion and the uses of microwaves, which Combined Science covers too.
Curriculum links last reviewed November 2026.
Every tracked satellite in orbit, moving live.
explain that a satellite in a circular orbit has a constant speed but a changing velocity.
Pick one satellite in low orbit and one much higher. Which moves faster across the globe, and why?
Low, medium, geostationary and polar orbits, and what each one is used for.
compare orbits at different heights and match each to its use.
Give groups five satellite jobs (weather, phone, GPS, TV, photos). Which orbit suits each one?
Where the Starlink internet satellites are right now.
explain why satellites use microwaves to send signals through the atmosphere.
How many Starlink satellites are up today? Discuss why a low orbit needs so many more satellites than a geostationary one.
Asteroids and comets passing close to the Earth.
recall the main features of our solar system, and explain that the Sun's gravity keeps asteroids and comets in orbit.
Find this month's closest approach. How many times further than the Moon (about 384,000 km) does it pass?
A free, self-paced Academy course: LEO, MEO and GEO, inclination, orbital periods and the link between height and speed.
explain what keeps a satellite in orbit, and why higher orbits are slower.
Set one lesson as homework. Start the next lesson with its quiz questions.
These are our suggestions for where each tool fits. Always preview a page before using it with a class: some tools show ads, these school pages do not.
Orby's Space Academy uses US spelling.
Know a better fit for your year group, or a topic we have missed? Tell us and we will add it.
Share this page with one link: orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/gcse
Orbital Radar. (2026, November 4). GCSE Physics: space physics. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/gcse
“GCSE Physics: space physics.” Orbital Radar, 4 Nov. 2026, orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/gcse. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.
Orbital Radar (2026) GCSE Physics: space physics. Available at: https://orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/gcse (Accessed: 4 November 2026).
Orbital Radar. “GCSE Physics: space physics.” Last modified November 4, 2026. https://orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/gcse.
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author = {{Orbital Radar}},
title = {GCSE Physics: space physics},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
howpublished = {\url{https://orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/gcse}},
url = {https://orbitalradar.com/schools/uk/gcse},
urldate = {2026-11-04},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-04}
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