Satellite Orbits

 

Satellite Orbits

Satellite orbits are typically classified by their altitude above Earth's surface. Here's a clear breakdown of Low Orbit and High Orbit:

1. Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

• Altitude range: Approximately 160 km to 2,000 km (100 to 1,240 miles) above Earth's surface.
• Common altitudes: Most satellites operate between 300–800 km, with the International Space Station (ISS) at around 400 km.
• Key characteristics:
• Short orbital period (about 90–128 minutes per orbit).
• Lower latency for communication.
• Higher resolution for Earth observation.
• Requires more satellites for global coverage due to faster movement.
• Examples: Starlink (SpaceX), OneWeb, Earth observation satellites, crewed missions (ISS), and many scientific satellites.

Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) is a sub-category below ~450–500 km, used for higher-resolution imaging but with higher atmospheric drag.

2. High Earth Orbit (HEO / GEO)

• Geostationary Orbit (GEO) — the most common "high orbit":
• Exact altitude: 35,786 km (22,236 miles) above the equator.
• Orbital period matches Earth's rotation (24 hours), so satellites appear stationary over a fixed point on Earth.
• High Earth Orbit (HEO) generally refers to orbits above ~35,786 km, including highly elliptical orbits where the apogee (highest point) goes much farther out (sometimes 100,000+ km).
• Key characteristics:
• Much higher latency (signal delay).
• Excellent for broad coverage with fewer satellites.
• More expensive to reach and maintain.
• Examples:
• GEO: Weather satellites (GOES), TV broadcasting, global communications (traditional satellite TV/internet).
• HEO: Some military, navigation support, or scientific missions.

Quick Comparison (with Medium Earth Orbit for context)

Orbit Type	Altitude Range	Orbital Period	Main Uses
LEO (Low)	160 – 2,000 km	90–128 minutes	Internet constellations, imaging, ISS
MEO (Medium)	2,000 – 35,000 km	2–12 hours	GPS, Galileo navigation
GEO (High)	~35,786 km	24 hours	Communications, weather, broadcasting

Note: "High orbit" usually refers to GEO in everyday discussions, while technically High Earth Orbit means anything significantly above GEO.

SpaceX's Starlink primarily uses LEO (around 500–550 km), which is why it needs thousands of satellites for coverage but offers low-latency internet. A potential future shift to higher orbits would change latency and capacity significantly.

No one owns space — at any altitude.

International Law Summary

Outer Space (generally considered to begin around 100 km altitude, known as the Kármán line) is not owned by any country, company, or individual.

This is governed primarily by the 1967 Outer Space Treaty (ratified by over 110 countries, including the US, Russia, China, and others), which states:

• Article II: Outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.
• Space is the "province of all mankind" — it belongs to everyone and no one.

This principle applies across all altitudes in space:

• Low Earth Orbit (LEO): 160–2,000 km
• Medium Earth Orbit (MEO): 2,000–35,000 km
• Geostationary Orbit (GEO): ~35,786 km
• Even higher orbits

Practical Reality (Who Controls What?)

While no one owns the space itself, here’s how it actually works:

Aspect	Who "Owns" / Controls It	Details
The orbit/slot	No one (international commons)	First-come, first-served with coordination via ITU (frequencies & GEO slots)
The satellite	The launching company / country	SpaceX owns its Starlink satellites, governments own theirs
Responsibility	The launching state	Country that launches or authorizes the satellite is liable for damage
Airspace (below ~100 km)	Sovereign territory of the country below	Full national control

 

Key Points by Altitude

• Low Earth Orbit (LEO): Heavily used by Starlink, OneWeb, etc. No ownership, but massive congestion issues are emerging. Companies need government approval and international coordination.
• Geostationary Orbit (GEO): Very valuable "slots" above the equator. Managed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Countries get priority filings, but still no ownership — just usage rights.
• Higher orbits: Same rules apply.

Bottom line: You can launch a satellite into a specific altitude, but you don’t own that piece of space. Other countries/companies can use the same orbital region (as long as they avoid collisions and interference).

Would you like me to explain how companies like SpaceX get permission to put thousands of satellites in specific orbits?