Table of Contents
- 1 Why is it not possible to put a satellite in geosynchronous orbit above the North Pole?
- 2 Is it possible to have a satellite in geosynchronous orbit around the Earth?
- 3 Why is it impossible to keep a satellite in a geosynchronous orbit around Antarctica?
- 4 Can you have a geostationary satellite not at the equator?
- 5 What are the essential conditions needed for a satellite to be geostationary?
- 6 What is the necessary condition for geostationary satellite?
- 7 Why does Russia not use geosynchronous satellites like Luch?
- 8 Is a Russian satellite in geostationary orbit stealing data?
Why is it not possible to put a satellite in geosynchronous orbit above the North Pole?
There cannot be a geostationary satellite at the poles, basically because it would have to be at rest, which cannot happen as it would get pulled by the earth’s gravity and eventually crash to the surface.
Is it possible to have a satellite in geosynchronous orbit around the Earth?
A special case of geosynchronous orbit is the geostationary orbit, which is a circular geosynchronous orbit in Earth’s equatorial plane. A satellite in a geostationary orbit remains in the same position in the sky to observers on the surface.
Which condition is required for a satellite to be in a geosynchronous orbit about the Earth?
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Three conditions are required for an orbit to be geostationary: The satellite must travel eastward at the same rotational speed as the earth. The orbit must be circular. The inclination of the orbit must be zero.
What happens to a satellite in a geosynchronous orbit?
A geosynchronous orbit is a high Earth orbit that allows satellites to match Earth’s rotation. “Because the satellite orbits at the same speed that the Earth is turning, the satellite seems to stay in place over a single longitude, though it may drift north to south,” NASA wrote on its Earth Observatory website.
Why is it impossible to keep a satellite in a geosynchronous orbit around Antarctica?
However, geosynchronous satellites are difficult or impossible to use near the polar regions because of local topography and attenuation through the atmosphere at low angles of elevation. A Polestat will use a solar sail, not orbital motion, to counteract the Earth’s gravity.
Can you have a geostationary satellite not at the equator?
No, a geostationary orbit must be in the plane of the Earth’s equator. Any other orbit would have the satellite appear to drift above and below the equator during the course of a day. A geosynchronous orbit matches the Earth’s rotational speed, but only allows a satellite to appear over the same spot once per day.
What is difference between geostationary and geosynchronous satellite?
Geostationary orbits fall in the same category as geosynchronous orbits, but it’s parked over the equator. While the geostationary orbit lies on the same plane as the equator, the geosynchronous satellites have a different inclination. This is the key difference between the two types of orbits.
How long will geosynchronous satellites stay in orbit?
Orbital stability A geostationary orbit can be achieved only at an altitude very close to 35,786 kilometres (22,236 miles) and directly above the equator. This equates to an orbital speed of 3.07 kilometres per second (1.91 miles per second) and an orbital period of 1,436 minutes, one sidereal day.
What are the essential conditions needed for a satellite to be geostationary?
The conditions for satellite to appear stationary are: (i) The time-period should be 24 hours. (ii) Its orbit should be in the equatorial plane of the earth. (iii) Its direction of motion should be the same as that of the earth about its polar axis.
What is the necessary condition for geostationary satellite?
A geostationary satellite must satisfy the following requirements: 1. Its orbit must lie on an equatorial plane. 2. It must appear stationary when viewed from a point on earth which means its time period of revolution is 24hrs.
How does a geosynchronous satellite work?
A geosynchronous satellite is a satellite in geosynchronous orbit, with an orbital period the same as the Earth’s rotation period. Such a satellite returns to the same position in the sky after each sidereal day, and over the course of a day traces out a path in the sky that is typically some form of analemma.
Why is it helpful to have geosynchronous instead of geostationary satellites?
This one special quality makes it unique from geosynchronous orbits. Weather monitoring satellites like GOES are in geostationary orbits because they have a constant view of the same area. In a high Earth orbit, it’s also useful for search and rescue beacons.
Why does Russia not use geosynchronous satellites like Luch?
Geosynchronous satellites are separated into wide segments of space in order to avoid interference with each other, but Russian operators have ignored that setup with Luch, preferring instead to travel through the orbit, creeping up on other commercial and government satellites.
Is a Russian satellite in geostationary orbit stealing data?
A Russian satellite has sidled up to yet another satellite in geostationary orbit, reigniting concerns that it could be stealing data or could cause a collision. Since launching in September 2014, a Russian satellite known as Luch or Olymp has caused friction in the national security space community as it traverses across geostationary orbit.
Are Russia and the US now playing catch-up with China in space?
Even though it was reported that the Russians recently carried out an anti-satellite test in orbit, the fact is, they – like the United States – are now playing catch-up with the Chinese military in space.
Does China have the upper-hand in Space Security?
The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency amplified that growing concern in their own report titled: “Challenges to Security in Space,” by flat-out declaring that China has a massive upper-hand in the militarisation of space.