Medium Earth Orbit
Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) refers to a satellite which orbits the earth at an altitude below 22,300 miles (geostationary orbit) and above the altitude of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.
Medium Earth Orbit represents a series of tradeoffs between geostationary orbit (GEO) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
Medium Earth Orbit enables a satellite provider to cover the earth with fewer satellites than Low Earth Orbit, but requires more satellites to do so that geostationary orbit.
Medium Earth Orbit terrestrial terminals can be of lower power and use smaller antennas than the terrestrial terminals of geostationary orbit satellite systems. However, they cannot be as low power or have as small antennas as Low Earth Orbit terrestrial terminals.
Medium Earth Orbit satellite systems offer better Round Trip Time (RTT) than geosynchronous orbit systems, but not as low as Low Earth Orbit systems.
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- Low Earth Orbit
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) refers to a satellite which orbits the earth at altitudes between (very roughly) 200 miles and 930 miles. Low Earth Orbit satellites must travel very quickly to resist the pull of gravity — approximately 17,000 miles per hour. Because of this, Lowe Earth Orbit satellies can orbit the planet in as [...]...
- Satellite Systems
The basic types of satellite systems include geostationary (GEO), Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), and Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) satellites. There are also public and private satellite systems such as Television Receive Only (TVRO), Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS), Global Positioning System (GPS), and multibeam satellite operations. Geosynchronous satellites orbit the Earth on [...]...
- Polar Orbit
A polar orbit is an orbit of any object in space, natural or synthetic, that passes around the Earth in a North-to-South direction rather than a West to East direction, which is known as an “equatorial orbit”. Polar orbits are advantageous because they will eventually travel across every possible latitudinal and longitudinal position on the [...]...
- Retrograde Orbit
A retrograde orbit is an orbit where the satellite travels in an East to West direction instead of the common West to East orbit. The normal West to East orbits are known as prograde orbits. Retrograde orbits are uncommon due to the much higher velocities necessary for successful launch and the associated higher costs. During [...]...
- Geostationary Satellite
Geostationary satellites are located exactly above the earth’s equator and revolve around the earth in a circular orbit. Their revolving speed and direction (west to east) are exactly same as that of the earth, which makes it look stationary from the earth’s surface. The exact altitude of these satellites above the equator is approximately 36,000 [...]...