Areostationary orbit
Encyclopedia
An areostationary orbit is a circular areosynchronous orbit
in the Martian
equatorial plane
about 17000 km (10,563.3 mi) above the surface, any point on which revolves about Mars in the same direction and with the same period
as the Martian surface. Although no artificial satellites have been placed so far in this orbit, it is of interest to some scientists foreseeing a future telecommunications network
for the exploration of Mars
. Areostationary orbit is a concept similar to Earth's geostationary orbit
.
Areosynchronous orbit
Areosynchronous orbits are class of synchronous orbits for artificial satellites around the planet Mars. As with all synchronous orbits, an areosynchronous orbit has an orbital period equal in length to Mars' sidereal day...
in the Martian
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
equatorial plane
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
about 17000 km (10,563.3 mi) above the surface, any point on which revolves about Mars in the same direction and with the same period
Orbital period
The orbital period is the time taken for a given object to make one complete orbit about another object.When mentioned without further qualification in astronomy this refers to the sidereal period of an astronomical object, which is calculated with respect to the stars.There are several kinds of...
as the Martian surface. Although no artificial satellites have been placed so far in this orbit, it is of interest to some scientists foreseeing a future telecommunications network
Telecommunications network
A telecommunications network is a collection of terminals, links and nodes which connect together to enable telecommunication between users of the terminals. Networks may use circuit switching or message switching. Each terminal in the network must have a unique address so messages or connections...
for the exploration of Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
. Areostationary orbit is a concept similar to Earth's geostationary orbit
Geostationary orbit
A geostationary orbit is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth's equator , with a period equal to the Earth's rotational period and an orbital eccentricity of approximately zero. An object in a geostationary orbit appears motionless, at a fixed position in the sky, to ground observers...
.
External links
- Mars Network - Marsats - NASA site devoted to future communications infrastructure for Mars exploration
- Bandwidth available from an areostationary satellite