Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites operate at altitudes ranging between 2,000 km and 35,786 km above the Earth. Their unique position allows them to serve a variety of roles that aren’t as efficiently covered by low Earth orbit (LEO) or geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites. Here’s a closer look at MEO satellites:
1. Applications:
- Navigation and Positioning: One of the most well-known applications of MEO satellites is for global navigation systems. For example:
- GPS (Global Positioning System): The U.S. satellite navigation system has its constellation primarily in MEO.
- GLONASS: Russia’s version of GPS also uses MEO.
- Galileo: The European Union’s satellite navigation system.
- BeiDou: China’s satellite navigation system.
- Communication: Due to their altitude, MEO satellites can cover larger areas than LEO satellites, making them suitable for communication applications, especially in regions where geostationary satellites might not be as efficient.
2. Advantages:
- Reduced Latency: MEO satellites offer a middle ground in terms of latency. They have lower latency than GEO satellites because they’re closer to Earth but slightly higher latency than LEO satellites.
- Larger Coverage than LEO: A single MEO satellite can cover a larger portion of the Earth than a LEO satellite, reducing the number of satellites needed for global coverage.
- Less Expensive Launch and Deployment: MEO satellites don’t require as much energy to reach their orbit compared to GEO satellites, making their launch and deployment somewhat less costly.
3. Challenges:
- Orbital Movement: Unlike GEO satellites, which remain fixed over one spot on Earth, MEO satellites move relative to the Earth’s surface. This requires tracking systems on the ground to adjust antennas continuously.
- Complexity in Network Design: Building a communication system using MEO satellites can be more complex than using GEO satellites because of their movement.
4. Future of MEO:
With the increasing demand for high-speed internet and global connectivity, MEO, along with LEO, is seeing more interest, especially from companies looking to provide global broadband services. The combination of reduced latency and broad coverage makes MEO an attractive option for certain applications in the evolving space and communication industries.