Concepts

Geostationary Orbit

Also Known As Clarke Orbit

Citation Formats

General Reference

Space and Astronomy Atlas. "Geostationary Orbit." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://space.interactiveatlas.org/concepts/geostationary-orbit.

APA Style

Space and Astronomy Atlas. (n.d.). Geostationary Orbit. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://space.interactiveatlas.org/concepts/geostationary-orbit

BibTeX

@misc{spaceandastronomyatlas-geostationary-orbit,
  author = {Space and Astronomy Atlas},
  title = {Geostationary Orbit},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://space.interactiveatlas.org/concepts/geostationary-orbit},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

A circular orbit about 35,786 kilometers above Earth's equator where a satellite's orbital period matches Earth's rotation, so it appears to hang stationary over a fixed point on the ground. It is the standard orbit for communications and weather satellites.

Facts

Concept Domain

Orbital Mechanics 1

Formulated Year

1945 2

Year Arthur C. Clarke published the idea of using this orbit for communications relays.

Proposed By

Arthur C. Clarke 1

Clarke popularised and expanded the concept of geostationary communications satellites in a 1945 article, though the underlying orbital mechanics had been described earlier.

Cross-Tradition Connections