How far are satellites above the earth?

Question

How many miles from the earth does a satellite hover in space?

Answer 1

Previously asked. Here is DizzyGill's answer:

Well it depends, different satellites will have different orbit heights base on how they need to be used. Sun-synchronous satellites orbit at approximately 525-530 miles and orbit about ever 100 minutes. They collect environmental data and can collect complete global data a couple times a day. Then there are geo-synchronous satellites that orbit from between 22,000 to 22,500 miles, and are used from co-operative efforts like with EUMETSAT, or for national needs of the country running them (like India).

Also, go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite

Answer 2

Depends on the satellite. The Space Shuttle, the ISS, and any satellite you can see with the naked eye are about 250-300 miles above Earth's surface. Some satellites are in geosynchronous orbits (they take 24 hours to orbit, so they stay above the same position on Earth all the time), those are 20,000 miles above the surface.

Answer 3

Satillites don't hover. They can orbit at any altitude we want them at, from LEO (Low Earth Orbit) of around 200 miles, to geosynchronous orbit, some 23,000 miles above the surface of the earth. For that matter, the Moon is also a satellite, and it orbits a couple hundred thousand miles up, if memory serves.

Answer 4

How far above the earth is the Google Earth satellite?

Answer 5

Satellite orbits have a variety of shapes. Some are circular, while others are highly elliptical (egg-shaped). Orbits also vary in altitude. Some circular orbits, for example, are just above the atmosphere at an altitude of about 155 miles (250 kilometers), while others are more than 20,000 miles (32,200 kilometers) above Earth. The greater the altitude, the longer the orbital period -- the time it takes a satellite to complete one orbit.

Answer 6

it depends! there is satellites who orbit between 320 e 820km. they are near of earth and they're very fast.
the hight orbit of satellites is like your function and kind of orbit that they print.
for example: sensor satellites study and make photos of earth superficie; army satellites; the Hubble, etc. all they have differents kind of orbits.

Answer 7

since geo syncronous orbit is located at a a height of 36000KM
satellites hover at that height

Answer 8

geosync or polar orbit or ? it varies from satellite to satellite....