// ORBITAL LOGISTICS AND PROPULSION TERM
Orbital Plane
The imaginary flat surface in which a satellite's orbit lies, passing through the center of the celestial body it's orbiting.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
The Orbital Plane is the two-dimensional plane containing an orbiting body's trajectory and the center of the primary body, defined by its inclination and the right ascension of the ascending node, crucial for understanding orbital orientation in space.
BACKGROUND
The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station in low Earth orbit (LEO). It is the product of the International Space Station program and is operated by five partner space agencies: NASA, Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan), and CSA (Canada). It is the first space station built, maintained and crewed through international cooperation and the largest human spacecraft ever constructed. It is an orbital research station, where scientific experiments in microgravity are conducted and the space environment is studied. Since 2 November 2000, it has hosted the longest continuous human presence in space. Alongside China's Tiangong, it is one of two operational space stations.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Plane of orbit
- orbital path plane
USAGE NOTE
Defines the orientation of an orbit in space, critical for ground station visibility and constellation design.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Orbital Plane.
Develops and operates the Starlink satellite internet constellation, requiring sophisticated management of thousands of satellites across numerous orbital planes, and provides launch services for placing payloads into specific orbits.
A global communications company building a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation to deliver broadband internet, which involves precise deployment and maintenance of satellites in defined orbital planes.
Developing and deploying a large constellation of over 3,000 satellites in low Earth orbit to provide global broadband internet access, necessitating extensive planning and execution related to orbital planes.
Provides launch services with its Electron and Neutron rockets, capable of precisely deploying satellites into various orbital planes, and is also developing satellite platforms.
Offers commercial Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Traffic Management (STM) services, utilizing a global radar network to track objects across different orbital planes, detect collision risks, and inform orbital maneuvers.
Operates the world's largest fleet of Earth-imaging satellites, managing hundreds of satellites across multiple orbital planes to provide daily imagery of the entire Earth's landmass.
A leading provider of advanced space technology, including satellite manufacturing, Earth intelligence, and robotics, which involves designing and operating spacecraft in specific orbital planes for various missions.
An intergovernmental organization dedicated to the exploration of space, involved in developing and managing numerous satellite missions (e.g., Copernicus, Galileo) requiring sophisticated orbital plane design, launch, and maintenance, as well as space debris tracking.
A major aerospace and defense technology company that designs, develops, and delivers launch vehicles, spacecraft, and satellite systems, with significant expertise in orbital mechanics and mission planning to achieve desired orbital planes.