Describing an orbit that passes over the same point on Earth's surface at the same local solar time on each revolution. Achieved by precisely tuning the orbit's inclination (~98°) and altitude so that nodal regression matches Earth's annual orbital motion around the sun. Critical for Earth-observation missions requiring consistent solar illumination of imagery.
In LaunchDetect
Different from heliocentric. A sun-synchronous orbit is still around Earth — it's the orientation relative to the sun that's preserved over time.