Satellite orbits: speed and period

Change the height of the orbit to see the speed and the time for one trip around the Earth.

Works in metric or imperial units.

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Questions students ask

How high is a geostationary orbit?

About 35 800 km above the equator, where one orbit takes 24 hours, so the satellite stays above the same place.

What formula does it use?

v = √(GM/r); T = 2πr/v, with r measured from the centre of the Earth.

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