Near Orbit
Near orbit is a location that surrounds a planet and is above the skies. Fictional near orbits often contain interesting elements to explore [spaceships, Kessler belts, orbital rings, teleportation gates, planetary shields, or satellite networks]. Massive objects or megastructures in near orbit may be visible from the surface of a planet. Near orbit is home to aliens, dropship space marines, and contemplative superheroes.
| Synonyms: in near orbit, close orbit, low earth orbit |
| Example Mythonyms: sky parking |
Designing Near Orbit Locations
| Types of Orbit |
|---|
| Geosynchronous Orbit: An orbit that keeps the satellite or object above the same relative location on the planet below. |
| Circular Orbit: An orbit whose path traces a circle. |
| Elliptic Orbit: An orbit whose path traces an ellipse. |
| Closed Orbit (periodic orbit): An orbit whose path repeats itself. |
| Open Orbit (escape orbit): an orbit that will result in the object either crashing into the planet below or escaping its’ gravitational pull. |
| Parking Orbit: A temporary orbit. |
| Decaying Orbit: An orbit that causes an object to slowly crash into the planet below. |
| Graveyard Orbit (junk orbit): An orbit where satellites are moved to at the end of their functional lives. |
Objects in different orbits offer worldbuilders a plethora of narrative options, from rescuing a ship, astronauts, or treasure in decaying orbit to secretly salvaging useful material from a graveyard orbit.
