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[[image]]

Altitude

The size of the orbit is described by the height of the shuttle above the surface of the Earth, or its altitude.

Orbital Period

The orbital period is the time it takes to make one complete trip around the orbital path. An orbit's altitude and period are related; the higher the altitude, the longer the period.

Example:

[[3 column table]]
| --- | altitude | period |
| shuttle | 200 miles | 90 minutes |
| communication satellite | 24,000 miles | 24 hours |
| moon | 240,000 miles | 29 1/2 days |
[[/3 column table]]


7/17/96

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