Back to Calculators

What does an orbit look like?

Play with this tool to learn what different orbits look like! Increase the simulation speed to see the orbit quick.

Try moving out to about 36,000km to see what a geostationary orbit looks like! Give it an inclination to see a neat feature of an inclined geostationary orbit!

NOTE: This calculator estimates circular orbits only

km
km/h
{{ orbit.inclination }}°

-180° to 180°

{{ formData.location.description }}

Planet Radius {{ formData.location.radius / 1000 | addCommas }} km
Planet Mass {{ formData.location.mass }} kg
Planet Gravity {{ formData.location.gravity }} m/s
Planet Rotation Speed {{ formData.location.rotationSpeed | addCommas }} m/s
Circular Orbit Velocity {{ displayOrbitVelocity | addCommas }} m/s
Orbit Height {{ displayOrbitHeight | addCommas }} km
Orbtal Period {{ displayOrbitPeriod }} hours
Orbital Decay {{ orbit.decayDays }} days
Orbital Decay {{ orbit.decayYears }} years
Orbital Decay Centuries

Orbital Decay

Time (days) Time (years) Height (km) Period (hours)
{{ decay.days }} {{ decay.years }} {{ decay.height }} {{ decay.period }}

References and Resources:

Orbital Calculator Orbit Simulator Satellite ground track visualizer Orbital Mechanics Wiki Orbit Decay Wiki Satellite Orbit Decay Low Earth Orbit