elevation
Elevation is the vertical angle or elevation angle, the inclination at which a satellite is at orbit with respect to the horizon. The reference plane is the horizontal in the direction of propagation.
The elevation angle, denoted by the Greek epsilon, is the angle between the center of the satellite beam and the direction of propagation, usually the earth's surface. Communication with a satellite can only take place from a minimum elevation. The lower the elevation angle, the more the satellite signal is affected by the atmosphere, clouds and rain, and attenuated by absorption and scattering.
In antennas, the radiation pattern in the vertical direction is called the elevation pattern, in contrast to the horizontal radiation pattern, the azimuth pattern.