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Definition

Low Earth Orbit

LEO

An orbit with an altitude between roughly 200 km and 2,000 km. LEO offers lower latency, higher resolution imaging, and lower launch costs, but requires more satellites for continuous coverage.

Related terms

International Traffic in Arms RegulationsITAR

US regulations controlling the export and import of defense-related articles, services, and technical data. Most spacecr...

Link Budget

A detailed accounting of all gains and losses in a communications link from transmitter to receiver. Includes transmit p...

Margin

The difference between a resource allocation and the current best estimate. Positive margin means the design has room. M...

Mass Budget

A comprehensive accounting of the mass of every component, subsystem, and the total spacecraft. Includes dry mass, wet m...

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