Satellites

What is a satellite?
● A satellite is an object in space that orbits or circles around a bigger object.

● There are 2 types of satellites-

1. Natural- Natural satellites are celestial bodies that orbit a planet or any other celestial
body.
2. Artificial- Artificial satellites are man-made and are launched into the orbit of a planet.

● A satellite is used for collecting useful information or for helping transfer of information.
Satellite orbits
Geostationary Earth Orbit {GEO}
● This orbit is located right above the Equator, with a distance of about 36,000kms from
the Earth’s surface.
● The type of satellite that travels in this orbit is called Geostationary satellite.
● Objects in the Geostationary orbit travel at the same speed as earth rotates, so they
appear to be stationary from any point on the earth's surface.
● The geostationary orbit is useful for transmitting signals (of telephone, data,etc.)
Highly Elliptical Orbit {HEO}
● The High Earth orbit satellite is the only non-circular orbit of the four types.

● HEO satellite operates with an elliptical orbit, with a maximum altitude (apogee) similar
to GEO, and a minimum altitude (perigee) similar to the LEO.
● The HEO satellites used for the special applications where coverage of high latitude
locations is required.
Medium Earth Orbit {MEO}
● MEO is the region of space around the Earth above low Earth orbit and below
geostationary orbit.
● The MEO satellite operates at about 5000 to 12000 kms away from the earth's surface.
● The most common use for satellites in this region is for navigation, such as the GPS.
● Communications satellites that cover the North and South Pole are also put in MEO.
● The orbital·periods of MEO satellites range from about 2 to 24 hours.
Low Earth Orbit {LEO}
● LEO is typically a circular orbit about 500 to 1,500 kms above the earth’s surface.
● The orbital·periods of LEO satellites is much shorter- about 90 minutes.
● Because of their low altitude, these satellites are only visible from within a small area
(about 1000 km radius) beneath the satellite as it passes overhead.
● A LEO satellite's proximity to earth gives it a better signal strength and less of a time
delay, which makes it better for point to point communication.
Types Of Satellites
● Communication- These satellites support mutual
communication of different places on earth. As there
is no need of wires, telecasting, phone calls, internet
connectivity, radio, and remote connectivity are
typical applications.

● Earth Observation- These are deployed to

study environment, monitor climatic changes
and mapping the earth for non-military
purposes.
● Navigation- Facilitates to trace the exact location of any
objects on the Earth. This leads to the development of
new applications, technology, and business cases.

● Space Stations- Designed for human beings to

live and conduct research on objects on
planets, stars, and galaxies. The ISS orbits at
approximately 350 km above the Earth and it
travels at an average speed of 27,724 kmph.

● Weather- These satellites are used to

measure and report the Earth’s
weather and the reports are used in a
weather forecast.
Satellite Physics
● A satellite is a projectile- which means that the only force acting on it is
that of gravity.
● The satellite moves in a circular path (the orbit) and therefore centripetal
force is required to keep it in its path.
● The formula for centripetal force is:-
1. m means mass- of the
satellite.
2. v means orbital speed,
; where:- which we find by the
tangent.
3. r means radius between
the Earth and orbit.
Calculating Centripetal Force for the
ISS
1. The mass (m)= 420,000 kms
2. The orbital speed (v)= 28,000 km/h
3. The radius (r) = 350 km (approx.)

F= 420000*28000^2/ 350

F= 9.408*10^11N