The question of a satellite’s distance from Earth has no single answer because these machines occupy a vast region of space, with altitudes measured in different categories of thousands of miles. Artificial satellites are intentionally placed into specific orbital regimes to perform specialized tasks. The distance from the planet’s surface fundamentally dictates a satellite’s speed, its coverage area, and the time it takes for a signal to travel to and from the ground. These different orbital paths—Low, Medium, and Geostationary—represent an engineering choice based entirely on the mission requirements.
Low Earth Orbit Satellites
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is the closest orbital neighborhood, extending from 100 miles up to 1,200 miles above the planet’s surface. Satellites in this zone experience residual atmospheric drag, meaning they move very quickly to avoid falling back to Earth. This proximity allows for the capture of high-resolution images and enables communications with the lowest possible signal delay.
The International Space Station (ISS) is a prime example of a LEO resident, maintaining an average altitude of about 250 miles. Commercial internet constellations, such as Starlink and OneWeb, also operate within this band, often at altitudes between 300 and 750 miles. Their low altitude necessitates thousands of satellites working together to provide continuous, worldwide coverage. LEO satellites complete a full circuit of the Earth in 90 to 120 minutes.
Medium Earth Orbit Satellites
Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) is the region between the upper boundary of LEO and the lower boundary of Geostationary Orbit. This region begins around 1,200 miles and extends outward to 22,236 miles above the Earth. MEO satellites are primarily used for navigation systems because this distance offers an optimal balance between the number of satellites required and the size of the area each one can cover.
The Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation, along with counterparts like GLONASS and Galileo, operates in MEO at an altitude of about 12,550 miles. At this height, satellites orbit the Earth in about 12 hours, crossing the same two points on the equator twice daily. This predictable path allows ground receivers to accurately calculate their position using signals from multiple satellites simultaneously. The MEO environment is less crowded than LEO and offers a larger field of view compared to closer satellites.
Geostationary and High Earth Orbits
The Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) ring is located at an altitude of 22,236 miles above the equator. This distance is calculated so that a satellite’s orbital period exactly matches the Earth’s 23-hour, 56-minute rotation period. Because the satellite moves at the same angular rate as the Earth below, it appears to remain motionless, or “fixed,” over a single geographic point on the surface.
This fixed position is useful for services that require a constant connection to a single antenna, such as weather monitoring, television broadcasting, and long-haul telecommunications. Satellites in GEO can cover nearly one-third of the planet, meaning only three well-placed satellites are needed for near-global coverage. High Earth Orbit (HEO) refers to any altitude greater than the GEO distance of 22,236 miles, though few satellites currently operate in this distant region.
Why Satellite Altitude Is Chosen
The selection of a specific orbital altitude is governed by three main factors: orbital speed, coverage footprint, and signal latency. The closer a satellite is to Earth, the faster it must travel to counteract the pull of gravity and stay in orbit.
Distance directly impacts the coverage area, known as the footprint, of a single satellite. A GEO satellite at 22,236 miles can view a large portion of the Earth, requiring fewer units for global service. Conversely, LEO satellites have a small footprint and must be deployed in massive constellations.
The signal delay, or latency, is a significant constraint, as closer orbits reduce the time it takes for a signal to travel back and forth. LEO’s low latency is ideal for real-time communication like video calls, while the 22,236-mile distance of GEO introduces a noticeable signal delay of approximately half a second.