Gps Satellite Orbit Radius

Gps satellites fly in medium earth orbit meo at an altitude of approximately 20 200 km 12 550 miles.

Gps satellite orbit radius.

Orbits in this height are referred to as meo medium earth orbit. The orbit is home to a number of artificial satellites the most common uses include navigation communication and. 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. Each satellite circles the earth twice a day.

Medium earth orbit meo sometimes called intermediate circular orbit ico is the region of space around earth above low earth orbit altitude of 2 000 km 1 243 mi above sea level and below geosynchronous orbit altitude of 35 786 km 22 236 mi above sea level. Comparison of geostationary earth orbit with gps glonass galileo and compass medium earth orbit satellite navigation system orbits with the international space station hubble space telescope and iridium constellation orbits and the nominal size of the earth. The satellites in the gps constellation are arranged into six equally spaced orbital planes. With a mean earth radius of 6360 km the height of the orbits is then about 20200 km.

A satellite at this height takes 12 hours to complete an orbit. It is the orbit used by the global positioning system gps satellites. As the satellite moves the earth rotates underneath it. In 24 hours the satellite crosses over the same two spots on the equator every day.

The satellites are located in middle circular orbit at 19 100 kilometres 11 900 mi altitude with a 64 8 degree inclination and a period of 11 hours and 15 minutes. In comparison geostationary satellites like astra or meteosat satellites orbit the earth at 42300 km which is about twice the distance of gps satellites and gps tracking devices. The global positioning system gps originally navstar gps is a satellite based radionavigation system owned by the united states government and operated by the united states space force. Because the radius and period are related you can use physics to calculate one if you know the other.

This orbit is consistent and highly predictable. The period of a satellite is the time it takes. Enlarge expandable 24 slot satellite constellation as defined in the sps performance standard. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems gnss that provides geolocation and time information to a gps receiver anywhere on or near the earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to.