Orbiting at Zero Speed: How Geostationary Satellites Rule Global Communications
Geostationary orbit sits at about 35,786 km above the equator and completes a sidereal day (~23h56m), so satellites appear fixed over one longitude; Arthur C. Clarke popularized it in 1945, giving the region the nickname the Clarke Belt. A GEO satellite remains stationary relative to the ground, allowing ground antennas to point at a fixed spot without tracking. Three GEO satellites spaced roughly 120° apart can provide near-global coverage, excluding polar regions. Syncom 2, launched in 1963, reached a geosynchronous orbit with a slight inclination, while Syncom 3, launched in 1964, was placed over the equator with zero inclination and