Ending Thoughts and the Molniya Orbit
Explore how to model satellite orbits in 2D and 3D using Python and third-party libraries. Understand complex orbital elements like argument of perigee and longitude of ascending node through graphical visualization. Learn to plot the Molniya orbit, a unique elliptical orbit used for high-latitude communications, using concise Python code.
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This chapter briefly introduced orbital mechanics and used an existing third-party library to model 2D and 3D elliptical orbits with Matplotlib. Third-party libraries are a great way to let others’ expertise guide you along your programming journey. The KeplerEllipse class within PyAstronomy clocks in at about 660 lines of code; we were able to import it and plot an ellipse in about 10 meaningful lines of code. This program is a good learning tool to ...