The orbital energy (E) of a satellite is the sum of its kinetic energy and potential energy in orbit.
- is the orbital energy
- is the mass of the satellite
- is the orbital velocity of the satellite
- is the gravitational constant (6.674×10−11 m3 kg−1 s−2)
- is the mass of the celestial body (e.g., Earth)
- is the distance between the center of the celestial body and the satellite.