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The Curious Bag
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A geostationary orbit describes a satellite that stays over the same area of the earth at all times. The satellite does not appear to move with respect to the ground.
What makes it Geostationary
A geostationary orbit results when a satellite orbiting the earth in the plane of the equator makes exactly one revolution around the earth in one day.
Orbital Characteristics
The actual velocity of a stable orbit is determined by the distance of a satellite from the earth. A geostationary orbit is uniquely determined as traveling at about 6,870 miles per hour at approximately 22,000 miles from the surface of the earth.
Geosynchronous Orbit
A geosynchronous orbit has a period of rotation that exactly matches the Earth's rotation. Geosynchronous satellites stay at the same latitude, but the longitude varies.
Communications
Geostationary and geosynchronous satellites are useful in communications. A signal can be bounced from the earth to one geostationary satellite, which can send the signal to another geostationary satellite and back to a point on the ground that cannot be reached by ground-based signals.
Important Firsts
Sputnik, the first satellite, was launched in 1957 by the USSR. The first geostationary satellite, Syncom 3, was launched in 1964 by the USA.
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