polar orbit

American  

noun

1. a spacecraft orbit that passes over, or close to, the geographic poles of the earth or some other celestial body.

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polar orbit British  

noun

1. the orbit of a satellite that passes over the poles of a planet

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Etymology

Origin of polar orbit

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Buzza said the launches are important for the Starlink satellite broadband network SpaceX is building, since they put the satellites into a polar orbit, complementing Florida launches that put them in an equatorial orbit.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2024

The $200 million Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, also called Danuri—“enjoy the Moon” in Korean—will study the Moon from a polar orbit for at least a year.

From Science Magazine • Aug. 10, 2022

Russia also plans two follow-on missions after Luna-25: Luna-26, a mission to study the moon from low polar orbit, and another lander mission, Luna-27, which would study lunar regolith on the surface.

From Scientific American • Apr. 25, 2022

Located on the Pacific coast northwest of Los Angeles, its position is ideal for testing ballistic missiles and putting satellites into polar orbit.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 27, 2021

The war-fleet of Kandar, in very fine formation, flowed in its polar orbit around the fourth planet out from Kandar's sun.

From Talents, Incorporated by Leinster, Murray