SACE Stage 2 Physics

Satellites

Compare polar, equatorial, and geostationary orbits in 3D, then switch modes to explain why each orbit is useful and why a geostationary satellite needs a large equatorial orbit in the same direction as Earth's rotation.

Modes

Animation speed

Orbit visibility

Geostationary conditions

Orbit to justify

Scale View Zoom

Mode Focus

Key Idea

Orbit Note

Drag to rotate the view. Use the mouse wheel or the scale-mode zoom buttons to zoom. The scene still auto-rotates gently so the orbit planes stay easy to compare.