Launch a Satellite

STK provides 6 different vehicle types -- Satellite, Launch Vehicle, Missile, Aircraft, Ship, and Ground Vehicle -- that you can use to model your land, sea, air, or space mission. In this simple scenario, you will just add a satellite.

Define the Orbit

1. Select Satellite from the Scenario Objects.
2. Select Orbit Wizard from the Select A Method list.
3. Click Insert...
4. .
5. Select Critically Inclined as the Type.
6. Set the Satellite Name to MEO.
7. Enter 15000 km in the Apogee Altitude field.
8. Enter 1500 km in the Perigee Altitude field.
9. Click OK to accept the defaults. The wizard closes and the new satellite appears in the 2D and 3D Graphics windows.

Now look at the 2D and 3D displays. On the 2D map, in addition to the marker representing the satellite, the satellite's ground track appears. In the 3D Graphics window you can see the orbit path.

The Orbit Wizard provides an easy way to define many different satellite orbits. Before continuing your tour, you might want to look at the greater range of possibilities offered by the Orbit page of the satellite's Basic properties.

Make it Move!

Now it is time to enter the 4th dimension and animate the scenario:

1. Select the 2D Graphics window, and then click in the animation toolbar. The satellite marker will move along its ground track.
2. To speed up the animation, click ; to slow it down, click .
3. You can pause () the animation at any time, or step it forward () or backward ().
4. When you finish, click to reset the scenario.
5. Now select the 3D Graphics window and, using the above buttons, animate the scenario and watch the satellite move around its orbit path.

Now you can improve the display by changing 2D and 3D Graphics settings.