Q7Principle of Electronic Communication
Question
2 marks
Q.7. What is the main difference between Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites? [2]
Answer
A GEO satellite orbits at approximately 35,786 km altitude, matching Earth's rotation so it appears stationary relative to a ground point, requiring only 3 satellites for near-global coverage but incurring high signal latency. A LEO satellite orbits at 500-2000 km altitude, moving rapidly relative to the ground, giving low latency but requiring large constellations for continuous coverage.