geostationary Earth orbit (GEO)

A geosynchronous satellite has a period of rotation that is an integer multiple of the Earth’s sidereal rotation period. A geosynchronous satellite may have any inclination or eccentricity and therefore does not, in general, remain fixed relative to the Earth’s surface. The geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) is a special case of a geosynchronous orbit in which the satellite follows a circular orbit in the Earth’s equatorial plane (0° inclination), at an altitude of approximately 35,786 km above mean sea level, with an orbital velocity of about 3.07 km s^–1 (≈11,070 km h^–1).