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KIDSAT GLOSSARY

Ascending Node:  The point where the shuttle's orbit crosses the equator going north.  The longitude of this point is called the Longitude of the Ascending Node.

Altitude:  The height of the shuttle above the surface of the Earth.

Descending Node:  The point where the shuttle's orbit crosses the equator going south.  The longitude of this point is called the Longitude of the Descending Node.

Equator:  An imaginary line circling the middle of the Earth at latitude 0 degrees.  The equator is the starting point for measuring distances north or south.

Footprint:  The area on the surface of the Earth that can be captured in a photograph taken by the KidSat camera.

GMT:  Greenwich Mean Time.  Also called UT - Universal Time.  The reference point for GMT (and UT) is Greenwich, England.  When it is midnight on the Prime Meridian, which passes through Greenwich, the GMT (UT) is 00:00:00.  When it is noon on the Prime Meridian it is 12:00:00 GMT (or UT).

Gravity:  The force with which the Earth pulls everything near it towards its center.  Gravity keeps the shuttle in orbit around the Earth.

Inclination:  The angle that describes the orientation of an orbit.  Inclination measures the tilt of the orbital plane with respect to a plane that contains the Earth's equator.  The inclination of the shuttle's orbit during KidSat is 51.6 degrees.

Internet:  A world wide network which allows computers to send information back and forth.

JPL:  Jet Propulsion Laboratory located in Pasadena, California.

JSC:  Johnson Space Center located in Houston, Texas.  The Mission Control Center at JSC communicates with the space shuttle during a mission.

KSC:  Kennedy Space Center located in Cape Canaveral, Florida.  The shuttle launches and lands at KSC.

Latitude:  Measures how far north or south a point is from the equator.  Latitude lines are imaginary lines which circle the Earth in an East-West direction.

Launch:  During launch, two solid rocket boosters and an external tank generate enough energy to lift the space shuttle into space.


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