Tundra orbit

A Tundra orbit (Russian: орбита «Тундра») is a highly elliptical geosynchronous orbit with a high inclination (approximately 63.4°), an orbital period of one sidereal day, and a typical eccentricity between 0.2 and 0.3. A satellite placed in this orbit spends most of its time over a chosen area of the Earth, a phenomenon known as apogee dwell, which makes them particularly well suited for communications satellites serving high-latitude regions. The ground track of a satellite in a Tundra orbit is a closed figure 8 with a smaller loop over either the northern or southern hemisphere.^[1]^[2] This differentiates them from Molniya orbits designed to service high-latitude regions, which have the same inclination but half the period and do not loiter over a single region.^[3]^[4]

^ Fortescue, P. W.; Mottershead, L. J.; Swinerd, G.; Stark, J. P. W. (2003). "Section 5.7: highly elliptic orbits". Spacecraft Systems Engineering. John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-61951-2.
^ Dickinson, David (2018). The Universe Today Ultimate Guide to Viewing The Cosmos: Everything You Need to Know to Become an Amateur Astronomer. Page Street Publishing. p. 203. ISBN 9781624145452.
^ Jenkin, A. B.; McVey, J. P.; Wilson, J. R.; Sorge, M. E. (2017). Tundra Disposal Orbit Study. 7th European Conference on Space Debris. ESA Space Debris Office. Archived from the original on 2017-10-02. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
^ Mortari, D.; Wilkins, M. P.; Bruccoleri, C. (2004). The Flower Constellations (PDF) (Report). p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-09. Retrieved 2017-10-02.

[fortescue-1] Fortescue, P. W.; Mottershead, L. J.; Swinerd, G.; Stark, J. P. W. (2003). "Section 5.7: highly elliptic orbits". Spacecraft Systems Engineering. John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-61951-2.

[2] Dickinson, David (2018). The Universe Today Ultimate Guide to Viewing The Cosmos: Everything You Need to Know to Become an Amateur Astronomer. Page Street Publishing. p. 203. ISBN 9781624145452.

[jenkin-3] Jenkin, A. B.; McVey, J. P.; Wilson, J. R.; Sorge, M. E. (2017). Tundra Disposal Orbit Study. 7th European Conference on Space Debris. ESA Space Debris Office. Archived from the original on 2017-10-02. Retrieved 2017-10-02.

[flower-constellations-4] Mortari, D.; Wilkins, M. P.; Bruccoleri, C. (2004). The Flower Constellations (PDF) (Report). p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-09. Retrieved 2017-10-02.

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