SOLAR SYSTEM

Detailed explanation-1: -At what part of an elliptical orbit doesn’t earth satellite have the greatest speed? The lowest speed? The satellite has its greatest speed when its nearest the earth, and its lowest speed when it’s farthest away from the earth.

Detailed explanation-2: -When the satellite is in the part of its orbit closest to the Earth, it moves faster because the Earth’s gravitational pull is stronger. The satellite is moving the fastest at the low point of an elliptical orbit. The low point of the orbit is called the perigee.

Detailed explanation-3: -A satellite orbiting in elliptical motion will speed up as its height (or distance from the earth) is decreasing and slow down as its height (or distance from the earth) is increasing.

Detailed explanation-4: -I.B.1 The Elliptical Orbit The extreme points on the major axis of the orbit are called the apse points. The point closest to the attracting body is called periapsis, while the farthest point is called apoapsis. For orbits about the earth, these extreme points are called “perigee” and “apogee, ‘’ respectively.

Detailed explanation-5: -The orbital velocity of the satellite depends on its altitude above Earth. The nearer to Earth, the faster the required orbital velocity. At an altitude of 124 miles (200 kilometers), the required orbital velocity is a little more than 17, 000 mph (about 27, 400 kph).