For Students · Orbital Elements
Orbital Elements for a glider
Built for students learning it for a class or exam. See the concept move instead of memorizing formulas — and check your homework intuition. Simulate a glider live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.
Orbital ElementsLive
the shape of an orbit
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An orbit's size and shape come from two numbers: the semi-major axis sets the period (and average altitude), and the eccentricity sets how elongated the ellipse is. Earth sits at one focus, so the satellite races through its low perigee and crawls at its high apogee — Kepler's second law in motion. The argument of periapsis rotates the ellipse.
Data Inspector
Period166 min
Apogee alt.7629 km
Perigee alt.-371 km
Eccentricity0.40
Governing equation
Reading this result: Moderate eccentricity stretches the ellipse; the 166 min period is fixed by the semi-major axis alone, independent of how elongated the shape is.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is this good for students?
- Yes — this version of "Orbital Elements for a glider" is framed for students learning it for a class or exam. See the concept move instead of memorizing formulas — and check your homework intuition.
- Do I need to install anything?
- No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.