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Beta angle ()In orbital mechanics, the beta angle is the angle between a satellite's orbital plane around Earth and the geocentric position of the Sun. [1] The beta angle determines the percentage of time that a satellite in low Earth orbit (LEO) spends in direct sunlight, absorbing solar radiation. [2]
It is expressed as the angle between a reference plane and the orbital plane or axis of direction of the orbiting object. For a satellite orbiting the Earth directly above the Equator , the plane of the satellite's orbit is the same as the Earth's equatorial plane, and the satellite's orbital inclination is 0°.
The angle is measured eastwards (or, as seen from the north, counterclockwise) from the FPA to the node. [2] [3] An alternative is the local time of the ascending node (LTAN), based on the local mean time at which the spacecraft crosses the equator. Similar definitions exist for satellites around other planets (see planetary coordinate systems).
If one wants a satellite to fly over some given spot on Earth every day at the same hour, the satellite must complete a whole number of orbits per day. Assuming a circular orbit, this comes down to between 7 and 16 orbits per day, as doing less than 7 orbits would require an altitude above the maximum for a Sun-synchronous orbit, and doing more ...
Argument of periapsis (ω) — defines the orientation of the ellipse in the orbital plane, as an angle measured from the ascending node to the periapsis (the closest point the satellite body comes to the primary body around which it orbits), the purple angle ω in the diagram. This quantity is undefined for circular orbits, but is often set to ...
English: Diagram which depicts the angle between a satellite's orbital plane and the Sun direction. In astrodynamics this angle is commonly known as 'beta-angle'. In astrodynamics this angle is commonly known as 'beta-angle'.
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Beta angle is defined as the angle between the orbit plane and the vector from the Sun. [18] Due to the relationship between an orbiting object's beta angle (in this case, the ISS) and the percent of its orbit that is spent in sunlight, solar power generation and thermal control are affected by that beta angle. [19]