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Satellite Time Period Calculator

Calculate Satellite Time Period





An example image

Explanation:

The orbital period of a satellite is calculated using Kepler's Third Law of Planetary Motion:

\[ T = 2\pi\sqrt{\frac{a^3}{GM}} \]

Where:

  • \( T \) is the orbital period (in seconds).
  • \( a \) is the semi-major axis (radius) of the orbit (in meters).
  • \( G \) is the gravitational constant (\(6.67430 \times 10^{-11}\, \text{m}^3/\text{kg}\, \text{s}^2\)).
  • \( M \) is the mass of the Earth (\(5.972 \times 10^{24}\, \text{kg}\)).

By converting altitude to meters and using the formula, we can calculate the orbital period in seconds. To obtain hours, we divide the result by 3600 (the number of seconds in an hour).