Mean motion

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Mean motion, , is a measure of how fast a satellite progresses around its orbit. Unless the orbit is circular, the mean motion is only an average value, and does not represent the instantaneous angular rate.

In databases of satellite orbital parameters the mean motion is typically specified in revolutions per day.

[edit] Calculation

will return units of radians/second.

where:

• is the gravitational constant in m³ kg^-1 s^-2,
• is the mass of the central body, in kg,

(note that and are typically combined to give the standard gravitational parameter, )

• is semi-major axis in meters.