Satellite orbit

A satellite orbit is the path it follows around Earth, maintained by a balance between its forward momentum and Earth's gravity. Imagine throwing a ball: if you throw it slowly, it hits the ground quickly. Throw it faster, and it travels farther before hitting the ground. If you throw it fast enough, the ball keeps falling around the Earth instead of directly into it, creating a circular or elliptical path—this is an orbit. Satellites can have different orbits depending on their purpose, altitude, and speed, such as low Earth orbit (closer to the planet) or geostationary orbit (matching Earth’s rotation).