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Communications satellites in alternative orbits
Article By:
Kinzie, Robert W. Iridium LLC, Washington, DC.
Last reviewed:2000
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB000300
For many years satellite communications mostly utilized satellites in geostationary orbits, in which the satellite remains directly overhead at a fixed location on the Equator at an altitude of 35,786 km (22,236 mi). More recently, alternative satellite orbits have been seen to have distinct advantages and have found increasing use. The first two sections of this article discuss global communications networks based on constellations of satellites in low Earth orbit. The Iridium system makes it possible to make or receive calls from anywhere in the world using a handheld mobile telephone, while the SkyBridge system will provide worldwide broadband communications services. The third section discusses the advantages of satellite orbits that are geosynchronous but not geostationary in providing services to geographical regions at high latitudes.
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