I have an app that shows live feeds, positioning, and other current information about the ISS (International Space Station). I noticed that its speed seems to vary. How can that be? Doesn’t the speed need to be constant for it to stay in orbit?

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I have an app that shows live feeds, positioning, and other current information about the ISS (International Space Station). I noticed that its speed seems to vary. How can that be? Doesn’t the speed need to be constant for it to stay in orbit?

In: Physics

3 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

No orbit is perfectly circular. It is an elliptical orbit, and as such, with vary in speed and height throughout its many rotations each Earth day.

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