Synchronous Orbits of Communication Satellites essays

Synchronous Orbits of Communication Satellites essays Synchronous Orbits of Communication Satellites The orbits of communication satellites vary for the type of satellite it is. The type of satellite it is depends on the work it is designed for. For example spy satellites (and most of the LEO satellites) need to be close to earth to take clearer pictures. First to understand the elliptical shaped orbits of the communication satellites, one needs to know that an orbit is a regular, repeating path that an object in space takes around another one. There are several types of orbits. The most common orbits are the polar, geosynchronous, and sun-synchronous orbits. The more correct term is near polar orbits. These orbits lean over at an angle near 90 degrees. This allows the satellite to see almost every part of the Earth as the Earth rotates underneath it, while providing a better global view. It takes approximately 90 minutes for the satellite to complete one orbit around the Earth. The orbits of the satellites usually take place about seven hundred to eight hundred km above Earth. These satellites orbit around Earth going from pole to pole. A geosynchronous orbit (GEO) is a circular, low orbit (time) about Earth making a complete turn in 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds, about the same time it takes Earth to turn, so as the Earth spins, the satellite moves synchronously with it. Geosynchronous means "in time with the Earth." A spacecraft or satellite in geosynchronous orbit stays over the same line of longitude while being at 35,790 km above Earth. Often a satellite in geosynchronous orbit stays above the same spot on Earth. When this occurs, it is called geostationary orbit. This orbit is ideal for certain kinds of communication satellites, or meteorological satellites that have a job to do over one part of the world. Because of the fact that planets are not perfectly shaped, the third type of common orbits occurs as the orbit changes to the orbit of the sun, while moving...