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why is apx 36,000Km the orbit for geosynchronous satellites? Isn't any orbit (at the right speed) geosynchronous?

Date: 2003-10-21 07:34 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lostcarpark.livejournal.com
A geosynchronous will generally be more stable than a low-Earth orbit because there isn't nearly as much of Earth's stray atmosphere floating around at that altitude. However, even at this distance there is matter floating around which has a slight effect on the orbit. There is also the gravitational pull of the Moon whill will gradually pull the satellite about in it's orbit, so geosynchronous do need to expend fuel to make course corrections too. I think ground stations sometimes need to make adjustments for sattelites that have drifted out of their original orbits too.

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greg elkin

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