Falling around a planet.
How can falling keep missing Earth?
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How can falling keep missing Earth?
Set the velocity vector and launch the satellite.
Gravity continuously bends a satellite’s path. With enough sideways speed, the surface curves away as the satellite falls. Lower speeds can intersect Earth; larger speeds produce elliptical paths or escape. Without gravity, motion continues in a straight line.
Earth radius 6,371 km, μ=398,600.4418 km³/s²; start altitude 400 km. Two-body vacuum trajectory, no atmosphere. Actual energy/angular momentum classify orbit, escape and intersection; schematic scene is scaled.
Launch a nearly circular orbit 400 km above Earth.
Compare orbit, impact and escape trajectories.