JSR Launch Logs

Jonathan C. McDowell

Orbital Categories

Orbital Categories

The following table gives the abbreviations I use to summariize different orbital categories. See orbits.html for discussion of the concepts used here.


Code   Name   T   i   e   hp   ha  
    Period/hr   inclination/deg  eccentricity   perigee ht/km   apogee ht/km  

ATM   Atmospheric  N/A   0.0 - 180.0  0.0 - 1.0   <80   0 - 80  
TA   Trans-Atm.   N/A   0.0 - 180.0  0.0 - 1.0   0-80   >80  
SO   Suborbital   N/A   0.0 - 180.0 0.0 - 1.0  <0   >80  
LEO/E   Equatorial  1:26 - 2:00   0.0 - 25.0   0.0 - 0.21   80 - 1682   80 - 3284  
LEO/I   Intermediate  1:26 - 2:00   2.0 - 85.0   0.0 - 0.21   80 - 1682   80 - 3284  
LEO/P   Polar   1:26 - 2:00   85.0 - 95.0   0.0 - 0.21   80 - 1682   80 - 3284  
LEO/S   Sun-Synch   1:26 - 2:00   95.0 - 104.0   0.0 - 0.21   80 - 1682   80 - 3284  
LEO/R   Retrograde  1:26 - 2:00  104.0 - 180.0   0.0 - 0.21   80 - 1682   80 - 3284  
MEO   Medium   2:00 - 23:00   0.0 - 180.0   0.0 - 0.50   80 - 34680  1682 - 55209 
HEO   Highly Ellip  4:03 - 23:00   0.0 - 180.0   0.50 - 0.92   80 - 14331 13000 - 69280  
HEO/M   Molniya   11:30 - 12:30   62.0 - 64.0   0.50 - 0.77   80 - 7294   19489 - 41854 
GTO   GEO Transfer 10:00 - 12:30   0.0 - 85.0   0.50 - 0.77      
GEO/S   Stationary   23:55.5-23:56.5  0.0 - 3.0   0.00 - 0.01  35353 - 35795   35775 - 36217  
GEO/I   Inclined GEO 23:55.5-23:56.5  3.0 - 25.0   0.00 - 0.05  33667 - 35795   35775 - 37903  
GEO/T   Synchronous  23:55.5-23:56.5  0.0 - 180.0   0.00 - 0.85  80 - 35795   35775 - 71510  
GEO/D   Drift GEO   23:00 - 25:00   0.0 - 3.0   0.00 - 0.05  32628 - 37028   34681 - 39198  
GEO/SI  Inclined GEO 23:55.5-23:56.5  3.0 - 25.0   0.00 - 0.05  33667 - 35795   35775 - 37903  
GEO/ID  Inclined Drift 23:41 - 24:11   3.0 - 25.0   0.00 - 0.05  32628 - 37028   34681 - 39198  
GEO/NS  Near-synch   23:00 - 25:00   0.0 - 180.0   0.0 - 0.85   80 - 37028   34681 - 73976  
VHEO  Very High Earth Orbit  > 25:00   0.0 - 180.0  0.0 - 1.00 
DSO   Deep Space Orbit           >145688 
CLO   Cislunar     0.0 - 180.0  0.0 - 1.00     >318200 
EEO   Earth Escape  
HCO   Heliocentric  
PCO   Planetocentric  
SSE   Solar System Escape 

(In earlier pre-releases of my orbit database, different orbit categories were used. In particular, VHEO was called 'deep' or 'distant' space and divided into DSO and DHEO; I now reserve the term 'deep space' for space beyond the Earth-Moon 1:4 resonance.)

1.4.1: Barycentric or not?