# geostationary satellite

> satellite in geostationary orbit

**Wikidata**: [Q19362195](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19362195)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/geostationary-satellite

## Summary
A geostationary satellite is a type of geosynchronous satellite that orbits Earth in a geostationary orbit. This specific orbit makes the satellite appear stationary in the sky from the perspective of a ground observer. This fixed position is crucial for applications like communications and weather monitoring.

## Key Facts
- **Classification:** A geostationary satellite is a subclass of a geosynchronous satellite.
- **Orbit:** It operates in a geostationary orbit around its parent astronomical body, Earth.
- **Alias:** It is also commonly referred to as a GEO satellite.
- **Primary Uses:** Geostationary satellites are widely used for communications (commercial, military, and satellite radio) and as weather satellites.
- **International Programs:** Numerous countries and organizations operate geostationary satellites, including the United States (GOES, AEHF), the United Kingdom (Skynet), Europe (Meteosat), Turkey (Türksat), and Thailand (Thaicom).
- **Identifier:** The Unified Astronomy Thesaurus ID for this entity is 647.

## FAQs
### Q: What is the difference between a geostationary and a geosynchronous satellite?
A: A geostationary satellite is a specific type of geosynchronous satellite. While all geosynchronous satellites have an orbital period matching Earth's rotation, a geostationary satellite also has a circular orbit directly above the Equator with zero inclination, causing it to appear fixed in the sky.

### Q: What are geostationary satellites used for?
A: They are primarily used for telecommunications and broadcasting, weather forecasting, and military applications. Examples include the Hot Bird fleet for broadcasting, the Meteosat series for weather monitoring, and the Skynet constellation for British military communications.

### Q: Can you give examples of geostationary satellite series?
A: Yes, notable series include the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) for U.S. weather forecasting, the European Meteosat family of weather satellites, the Skynet series of British military satellites, and the Türksat series of Turkish communications satellites.

## Why It Matters
The primary significance of a geostationary satellite lies in its fixed position relative to Earth's surface. This unique characteristic solves the problem of needing to constantly track a satellite with a ground-based antenna. For applications like satellite television, internet services, and continuous communications, a user can simply point a dish at the satellite's location in the sky, and it will remain locked.

This "stationary" viewpoint is also invaluable for meteorology. Weather satellites like GOES and Meteosat can continuously monitor the same geographic area, allowing them to track the development and movement of weather systems like hurricanes in real-time. For military operations, this provides persistent surveillance and a reliable communications link over a specific region of interest. The development of geostationary satellites fundamentally changed global communications and weather forecasting by providing a stable, high-altitude platform for observation and data relay.

## Notable For
- **Fixed Apparent Position:** Its defining characteristic is its geostationary orbit, which makes it appear motionless from the ground, enabling the use of fixed ground antennas.
- **Diverse Applications:** Geostationary satellites serve a wide range of functions, including commercial communications (Thaicom, Italsat), military communications (Skynet, AEHF), satellite radio (SXM-8), and weather monitoring (Meteosat, GOES).
- **Global Operation:** Satellite constellations are operated by numerous countries and international bodies, including the United States, United Kingdom, Turkey, Thailand, Italy, Russia, Canada, Japan, and European organizations.
- **Generational Evolution:** Some satellite families have undergone significant evolution, such as the Meteosat series, which has progressed through First, Second, and Third Generation models.

## Body
### ### Classification and Orbit
A geostationary satellite is a specific type of artificial satellite classified as a subclass of **geosynchronous satellite**. Its defining feature is its orbit—a **geostationary orbit**—which is a circular geosynchronous orbit directly above Earth's equator. This precise orbit means the satellite's orbital period matches Earth's rotational period, causing it to remain in a fixed position in the sky relative to observers on the ground. Its parent astronomical body is **Earth**.

### ### Applications and Examples
Geostationary satellites are deployed for various critical functions, primarily in communications and Earth observation.

#### #### Communications Satellites
This is the most common application, with numerous national and commercial fleets.
- **Military Communications:**
    - **Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF):** A U.S. military constellation.
    - **Skynet:** A series of British military communications satellites.
    - **Continuous Broadcast Augmenting SATCOM (CBAS):** A model of American military communications satellite.
    - **UFO 11:** An individual American military geostationary communications satellite.
- **Commercial and National Communications:**
    - **Türksat:** A series of Turkish satellites.
    - **Hot Bird:** A fleet typically operating at 13° East.
    - **Thaicom:** A series of Thai satellites.
    - **Italsat:** A model of Italian communications satellite.
    - **ViaSat-3:** A series of high-throughput satellites.
    - **Individual Satellites:** SES-22, Eutelsat 36B, Inmarsat-4A F4, Ekspress-AMU7.

#### #### Weather Satellites
These provide continuous monitoring of weather patterns over large geographic areas.
- **Meteosat:** A family of European weather satellites, with distinct First, Second, and Third Generation (MTG) series.
- **Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES):** A series of weather forecasting satellites operated by the United States.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "geostationary satellite",
  "description": "A geostationary satellite is a type of artificial satellite that orbits Earth in a geostationary orbit, making it appear stationary from the ground.",
  "alternateName": "GEO satellite",
  "additionalType": "geosynchronous satellite"
}

## References

1. Quora
2. KBpedia