If a satellite is in a geostationary orbit, what is its orbital period?

Practice Questions

Q1
If a satellite is in a geostationary orbit, what is its orbital period?
  1. 24 hours
  2. 12 hours
  3. 6 hours
  4. 1 hour

Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions

If a satellite is in a geostationary orbit, what is its orbital period?
  • Step 1: Understand what a geostationary orbit is. It means the satellite stays in the same position relative to the Earth.
  • Step 2: Know that for a satellite to be geostationary, it must orbit the Earth at the same rate that the Earth rotates.
  • Step 3: The Earth takes 24 hours to complete one full rotation on its axis.
  • Step 4: Therefore, a geostationary satellite must also take 24 hours to complete one orbit around the Earth.
  • Step 5: Conclude that the orbital period of a geostationary satellite is 24 hours.
  • Geostationary Orbit – A geostationary orbit is a circular orbit around the Earth where a satellite has an orbital period that matches the Earth's rotation period, allowing it to remain fixed over a specific point on the Earth's surface.
  • Orbital Period – The time it takes for a satellite to complete one full orbit around the Earth.
  • Earth's Rotation Period – The time it takes for the Earth to complete one full rotation on its axis, which is approximately 24 hours.
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