What altitude does the satillite Geostationary travel at above the earth? And what speed?

Answer 1

The altitude will be about 35,786 km (about 22,236 miles). The speed will be 3075 meters/sec (about 6879 miles/hour).

You want the angular velocity to match the angular velocity of the Earth's rotation rate (7.292 x 10^-5 rad/sec) and angular velocity equals:

v/r = w where v is the satellite's speed, r is the satellite radius, and w is the angular velocity.

To stay in a circular orbit, the speed has to equal the square root of GM/r

v=sqrt(GM/r) where v is speed, G is the universal gravitational constant, M is the mass of the Earth, and r is the satellite radius (altitude plus the radius of the Earth).

That means there's only one altitude where both conditions can be met, and that's at the altitudes given above.

Edit: BTW, GPS satellites are semi-synchronous, meaning they complete two orbits per day. They're closer than geosynchronous, but are still far away (a little over 20,000 km in altitude). The orbits of satellites (and planets) depends upon acceleration due to gravity. Since F=ma, and force depends on the mass of the orbiting object, the mass will cancel out and all geosynchronous satellites will have the same altitude and speed, regardless of weight.

Answer 2

A satellite in geostationary orbit around the Earth's equator will be at an altitude of approximately 35,786 km, and travelling at 11,068 km/h.

Answer 3

Pete S is correct...

Sam is completely wrong... weight/mass (yes, they are two different things) has no effect on an objects orbit... An orbit balances two forces... centripetal and gravitational

F = mg (gravity)
F = m*v^2/r (centripetal)

set them equal...

mg = m*v^2/r and the m's cancel out...

so g = v^2/r (this is for a perfectly circular orbit, and g = gravitational acceleration which changes with distance from Earth)

Therefore, mass has no effect on the motion in orbit...

Geostationary can also only occur at the equatorial plane in orbit... at the height and speed specified by Pete S...

Answer 4

The altitude is approximately 23,000 miles and its speed is the rotational speed of the earth at the equator, approximately 1000 miles per hour. In this way the satelite turns in unison with the earth and appears to stay in place to an earthbound observer. As the altitude of the satelite decreases, its speed increases to maintain its orbit. GPS satelites are low orbit and whiz so fast that relativity effects are evident.

Answer 5

geostationary simply means that the item orbits at the same speed the earth rotates so it stays above the same place on earth at all times .... they can orbit ...indeed MUST orbit at different altitudes depending on the weight of the object .. the heavier it is the further out it must be to maintain the desired orbit.

Answer 6

The Altitude is, I believe 22,300 miles. The speed? 17,500mph. Do the math for km/h