Sage-Tips

Why is it impossible to keep a satellite in a geosynchronous orbit around Antarctica?

However, geosynchronous satellites are difficult or impossible to use near the polar regions because of local topography and attenuation through the atmosphere at low angles of elevation. A Polestat will use a solar sail, not orbital motion, to counteract the Earth’s gravity.

How fast does a satellite in geostationary orbit travel?

Orbital stability A geostationary orbit can be achieved only at an altitude very close to 35,786 kilometres (22,236 miles) and directly above the equator. This equates to an orbital speed of 3.07 kilometres per second (1.91 miles per second) and an orbital period of 1,436 minutes, one sidereal day.

Why is geostationary orbit so high?

A geosynchronous orbit is a high Earth orbit that allows satellites to match Earth’s rotation. This is because of the effect of Earth’s gravity; it pulls more strongly at satellites that are closer to its center than satellites that are farther away.

Why is it not possible to put a satellite into geosynchronous orbit above the North Pole?

There cannot be a geostationary satellite at the poles, basically because it would have to be at rest, which cannot happen as it would get pulled by the earth’s gravity and eventually crash to the surface.

Is it possible to put a satellite into orbit such that it will remain fixed above the North Pole?

No, a geostationary orbit must be in the plane of the Earth’s equator. That way, by matching its orbital speed with the speed of a point on the equator, the moving satellite appears to be stationary over that point.

Why do we need polar orbiting satellites?

Polar orbiting satellites provide imagery and atmospheric soundings of temperature and moisture data over the entire Earth. Geostationary satellites are in orbit 22,000 miles above the equator, spin at the same rate of the Earth and constantly focus on the same area.

What advantage do geostationary satellites have compared to polar orbiting satellites?

Their advantages are… They always located in the same spot of the sky relative to the earth. They view the entire earth at all times. They can record images as fast as once every minute.

How many meteorological satellites are in geostationary orbit?

The satellite appears motionless at a fixed position in the sky to ground observers. There are several hundred communication satellites and several meteorological satellites in such an orbit. Fig. 1.2illustrates a few typical meteorological satellites in the geostationary orbit relative to the polar-orbiting satellites. Figure 1.2.

Is it possible to reach the Sun with a delta-v of 24?

One must add to this the potential energy depth of LEO, about 61 km 2/s 2, to give a kinetic energy close to Earth of 504 km 2/s 2, corresponding to a speed of 31.8 km/s. Since the LEO speed is 7.8 km/s, the delta-v is only 24 km/s. It would be possible to reach the sun with less delta-v using gravity assists.

Why do satellites stay in the same orbit around Earth?

This is an ideal orbit for communications satellites, since ground-based antennas can remain pointed at the same spot in the sky. The Earth’s gravity field This animation, created with data from the GRACE spacecraft, shows the variances in Earth’s gravity field.

How does a rocket change its orbit?

Rockets sending payloads to geosynchronous and geostationary orbits drop off their payload in transfer orbits, halfway points en route to the satellite’s final position. From transfer orbit, a satellite conducts engine burns to circularize its orbit and change its inclination.