With this simulation you can explore the flight path of satellites. You can set the minimum flight altitude [math]h_{min}[/math] in meters, the orbital inclination [math]\alpha[/math] in ° and the eccentricity [math]\epsilon[/math] of the orbit. The minimum flight altitude and the eccentricity give the semi-major axis [math]a[/math] of the satellite's elliptical orbit according to the formula: [math]a=\frac{r_e+h_{min}}{\epsilon}[/math] where [math]r_e[/math] is the radius of the earth.[br]The satellite's orbital period is calculated using the formula: [math]T=\sqrt{\frac{4\pi^2\cdot a^3}{G\cdot M}}[/math] where G is the gravitational constant and M is the mass of the earth.[br]The satellite's speed is calculated using the formula: [math]v=\sqrt{GM\left(\frac{2}{r_e+h_c}-\frac{1}{a}\right)}[/math] where [math]h_c[/math] is the current flight altitude.[br][br]For research satellites it is important that the satellite has flown over every point on the earth after a certain time. Can you find such a setting?[br][br]What does a change in eccentricity do and what advantage could an elliptical satellite orbit have?[br][br]