A near-polar low Earth orbit where the satellite passes over any given point on Earth's surface at the same local solar time each pass. Achieved by precisely matching the orbital plane's nodal regression to Earth's annual revolution around the sun. Used for Earth-observation satellites needing consistent lighting conditions (Landsat, Sentinel, Suomi NPP).
In LaunchDetect
SSO requires ~98° inclination at ~600-800 km altitude. Vandenberg and Taiyuan are common SSO launch sites due to their high-latitude polar-trajectory launch corridors.