How Doppler shift works for satellites
A LEO satellite moves fast (~7.5 km/s) relative to a ground station, so the received carrier frequency is shifted by the radial (line-of-sight) component of that velocity. As the satellite rises, it approaches you and the frequency is shifted up; at closest approach the radial velocity is zero (no shift); as it sets it recedes and the frequency shifts down.
Formulas used
Orbital velocity: v = √(μ / (Rₑ + h)), μ = 398600.4418 km³/s²
Doppler shift: Δf = −(ṙ / c) · f, where ṙ is the range rate and c is the speed of light
This calculator models a worst-case overhead (zenith) pass, where Doppler shift and Doppler rate are largest. The maximum Doppler scales linearly with carrier frequency — which is why X- and Ku-band links need far wider acquisition ranges than UHF.
All computation runs locally in your browser.