Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) is the region of space around Earth that lies between Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Orbit (GEO), typically ranging from 2,000 km to 35,786 km in altitude. Satellites in MEO take about 2 to 12 hours to orbit the Earth and are commonly used for navigation systems like GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS. These satellites move slower than LEO satellites but faster than GEO ones, and they can cover a larger area than LEO satellites, making them ideal for global communication and positioning.
MY NOTES:MEO is a mid-level orbit mainly used for navigation satellites like GPS.
How long does it take a Medium Earth Orbit satellite to go all the way around the Earth?
What makes MEO satellites better at seeing more of the Earth at once compared to lower satellites?
Why do you think MEO satellites don’t move as fast as the ones in Low Earth Orbit (LEO)?
If a GPS satellite is in MEO, how does that help you use a map on your phone?
What do you think would happen if there were no satellites in Medium Earth Orbit?
Why do MEO satellites move faster than the ones that stay over the same spot (GEO satellites)?
What’s one reason we don’t put GPS satellites way up high in Geostationary Orbit instead of in MEO?
If you wanted a satellite to give signals to lots of different countries, why might you choose MEO?
Can you think of a reason why satellites in MEO might be better for space navigation than ones really close to Earth?