2007-02-16 15:24:37 · 6 answers · asked by ALBERT S 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
There are really 3 "groups" of satellites, each group has a different purpose.
Low Earth Orbit (less than 3650 miles or 5900 km) is where satellites such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station are found, these satellites orbit in less than 4 hours.
Mid Earth Orbit (about 12,700 miles or 20,400 km) is where the GPS satellites are found, taking about 12 hours per orbit.
Geo-stationary orbit (about 22,240 miles or 35.800 km) is where TV broadcasting satellites are - they orbit in 24 hours, so they remain above the same spot on earth all the time.
Individual satellites could orbit higher or lower than the distances I've quoted, so there aren't 3 clear bands of satellites, but they all cluster in one of these 3 regions for the most part.
2007-02-16 16:08:15 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The largest number are low-orbit satellites, a few hundred miles above the earth. There are a bunch more in geosynchronous orbit, 22,400 miles out. There are others here and there, including the GPS satellites, about 11,000 miles out.
2007-02-16 23:30:07 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Geosynchronous orbit is about 23,500 miles up, and then there are a whole lot of close in (like weather and spy satellites) that are anywhere from about 200 to 500 miles up.
2007-02-16 23:31:36 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most satellites are close,less than 5oo miles.
The TV satellites are in a geosynchronous orbit at 22,500 miles.
2007-02-17 07:34:45 · answer #4 · answered by Billy Butthead 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most are in the low to mid hundreds of miles, but some are in the 22,000-23,000 range, or a geosynchronous orbit.
2007-02-17 00:01:10 · answer #5 · answered by Don,The 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
300 to 500 miles or so
2007-02-16 23:32:32 · answer #6 · answered by Stupidog 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋