What is a MEO satellite?
Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites are less frequently discussed, yet they are among the most commonly used, particularly for navigational purposes, such as the GPS signals relied upon for everyday travel.
MEO satellites orbit approximately 10,000 kilometres above the Earth’s surface, which is about five times farther than LEO satellites. This greater distance means that fewer MEO satellites are needed to cover the entire Earth compared to LEO satellites, though still more than GEO satellites. However, this increased altitude also results in slightly higher latency.
In addition to navigation, MEO satellites are employed for military purposes and, in some cases, remote internet services requiring exceptionally high throughput.
One significant drawback of MEO satellites is the higher cost associated with launching them into space and their construction, making them more suited to specific niche applications.
Fun Fact: The first two MEO communication satellites, known as Telstars, are still orbiting Earth, despite no longer being operational.
MEO SATELLITE
O3b SES
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