Calculate The Orbital Height Of A Geostationary Satellite

H is the altitude height of the object.

Calculate the orbital height of a geostationary satellite.

P is the orbital period. Mission control wishes to place a satellite in circular orbit above the earth. A a geostationary orbit is when the satellite remains vertically above the same point on the equator at all all times and consequently has an orbital period of 24 hours. An object s orbital altitude can be computed from its orbital period and the mass of the body it orbits using the following formula.

The satellite must have a period. Through the use of re arranging the above equation we can come to the equation. Because the radius and period are related you can use physics to calculate one if you know the other. H 4 22 10 7 6 37 10 6 3 583 10 7 m.

We can calculate the height h above the earth s surface by subtracting the radius of the earth from the radius of the orbit. B calculate the height at which the satellite orbits above the surface of the earth. G is the gravitational constant. A geostationary orbit also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit geo is a circular geosynchronous orbit 35 786 kilometres 22 236 miles above earth s equator and following the direction of earth s rotation.

A minimum of three satellites are needed to cover the entire earth super synchronous orbit is a disposal storage orbit above gso. The radius of the earth is 6400km and its mass is 6x10 24 kg. When a satellite travels in a geosynchronous orbit around the earth it needs to travel at a certain orbiting radius and period to maintain this orbit. To calculate the radius of a geostationary orbit the centripetal force must equal the gravitational force on the satellite or mass.

The height of the geostationary orbit is 35786 kilometers above earth in geostationary orbit the satellite moves with an orbital speed of 11068 km per hours. The period of a satellite is the time it takes. The organic chemistry tutor 143 911 views 17 18. R g m2 t 4π we know that m2 is the mass of the earth at 5 98 10 24 kg t is the time period and g the universal gravitation constant at 6 67 x10 11 kg 2.

Image satellites in geostationary orbit by lookang many thanks to author of original simulation francisco esquembre author of easy java simulation francisco esquembre. From the relationship f centripetal f centrifugal we note that the mass of the satellite m s appears on both sides geostationary orbit is independent of the mass of the satellite. From earth they would seem drifting in westerly direction.