| A | B |
|---|
| Apogee | The point in an orbit that is farthest from Earth. |
| Argument of Perigee | Abbreviated as ω. The orientation of the orbit within the orbital plane. |
| Eccentricity | Describes the roundness of an orbit. |
| Ellipse | The two dimensional shape that is produced by a plane fully intersecting a cone |
| Geostationary Earth Orbits | Abbreviated as GEO. Orbits where satellite stays in one spot with respect to Earth |
| Inclination | The angle between the earth’s equatorial plane and the plane of the orbit. |
| Low Earth Orbit | Abbreviated as LEO. Orbits which are relatively close to the Earth. |
| Molniya Orbit | Abbreviated as Moly. A highly inclined, highly elliptical orbit. |
| Perigee | The point in an orbit that is closest to earth |
| Polar Orbit | The inclination of a polar orbit is 90 degrees. |
| Right Ascension of the Ascending Node | Abbreviated as RAAN. The angle measured along the equatorial plane between a vector pointing to a fixed reference point in space and the point on the orbit where the orbital motion is from south to north across the equator. |
| Semi-major Axis | Abbreviated as a. Describes the size of the ellipse. |
| True Anomaly | The angle between the perigee point and the satellite’s location measured in the direction of the satellite’s motion. |
