Question

Which of the following statements are correct regarding satellite visibility and coverage?

1. LEO satellites provide low latency but short visibility durations.

2. MEO satellites offer longer visibility than LEO but less than GEO.

3. GEO satellites offer near-global coverage including polar regions.

• A. 1 & 2
• B. 2 & 3
• C. 1 & 3
• D. All are correct

Answer 1

Answer:

A. 1 & 2

• Correct Answer: Option A (1 & 2)

• LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites:

• Operate at altitudes between 160-2,000 km above Earth

• Provide low latency communication (minimal delay) due to their proximity to Earth

• Have short visibility durations over any specific location because they move quickly relative to Earth's surface

• Examples: Starlink, International Space Station, many Earth observation satellites

• MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) satellites:

• Orbit between 2,000-35,786 km above Earth

• Offer longer visibility durations than LEO satellites but less than GEO satellites

• Provide a good balance between coverage and latency

• Examples: GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo navigation satellites

• GEO (Geosynchronous Earth Orbit) satellites:

• Orbit at approximately 35,786 km above Earth's equator

• Appear stationary relative to Earth because they orbit at the same rate as Earth rotates

• Provide continuous visibility over a large region

• However, GEO satellites DO NOT provide coverage for polar regions due to their equatorial orbit