Geosynchronous Orbit

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). Under these conditions, the satellite appears stationary in longitude relative to the Earth’s surface (although small station-keeping maneuvers are required to counteract gravitational perturbations and maintain geostationary position), making GEO particularly well suited to satellite communications systems.