how long does it take a satellite to rotate around the earth?

Answer 1

Things like tv satellites are in geosynchronous orbit, which means that they remain over the same position on earth at all times. In other words, they take 24 hours to orbit. Satellites in low earth orbit complete a revolution in more like an hour and a half.

Answer 2

It depends on the satellite's distance from the earth. The wider the orbital circle, the longer it takes. For satellites that are very close to the earth (i.e. just barely above the earth's atmosphere), this time is about 90 minutes. This is the shortest time possible.

Note that the earth is rotating "under" the satellite as it makes its 90-minute journey. So, by the time the satellite returns to the same "spot" in space, the earth has rotated about 22 degrees, so the satellite won't be over the same "spot" on the earth. So it takes a (fast-moving) satellite an extra few minutes to "catch up" to its original longitude over the earth.

If the satellite is at the correct height (about 22,000 miles), it will take 24 hours for it to make a complete circle. Since the earth is rotating under the satellite at exactly that same rate (once per 24 hours), it will seem to a person on earth as though the satellite is just "hanging" in the same spot in the sky all the time. This is a very useful feature if you want to use the satellite to broadcast TV or radio; because you just have to point your dish antenna in one direction and then forget it.

Answer 3

it depends a lot of satellites rotate at the same speed of the earth so its technical in a fixed position but it is moving.others do orbit the earth at different speeds but I don't know how long it would take.

Answer 4

it depends on how far (what altitude) the satellite is. some satellites stay directly over the same spot on earth.