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What is the best orbit for a satellite that maps the coastal waters of the world?

How would you classify a satellite that is designed to map the coastal waters of the world, application or scientific? What would be the best orbit for such a satellite?

Public Comments

1. With a polar or near-polar orbit, you'd eventually pass over every piece of coastline in the world.
2. A polar orbit will cover the entire globe, which is probably what you want. Many polar orbit satellites are in sun-synchronous orbits and go over about the same local time each day. This is good for weather satellites. Dunno about mapping coastlines. Application or scientific depends on who launched the satellite and what they're doing with the data they develop with it.