polar orbit

noun

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

polar orbit

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of polar orbit¹

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

The company said it thinks the rural coast is a good location because it provides launch opportunities over the Atlantic Ocean directly into polar orbit with little interference.

From Seattle Times

SpaceX launched the Pace satellite on its $948 million mission before dawn, with the Falcon rocket heading south over the Atlantic to achieve a rare polar orbit.

From Seattle Times

After being deployed to a highly elliptical Earth orbit, the Chandrayaan-3 orbiter will propel Vikram to and around the moon and then gradually maneuver it into a circular polar orbit 100 kilometers above the lunar surface.

From Scientific American

The Falcon rocket blasted off at sunset with 40 mini satellites bound for polar orbit.

From Seattle Times