Medium Earth Orbit

Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), in the context of aviation and space exploration, refers to a region of space around the Earth where satellites or spacecrafts are typically positioned. This orbit lies above the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and below the Geostationary Orbit (GEO). The altitude for MEO ranges from approximately 2,000 kilometers to just below 36,000 kilometers. Satellites in MEO have an orbital period, the time it takes to complete one orbit around the Earth, that ranges from about 2 to 24 hours. MEO is particularly used for navigation, communication, and geodetic/space environment science. The most common use of MEO is for the Global Positioning System (GPS), which is a constellation of satellites that provide navigation data to military and civilian users all over the globe. The satellites in MEO have a larger coverage area on Earth than LEO satellites and they are less affected by atmospheric drag. However, they require more powerful transmitters and receivers than LEO satellites but less than GEO satellites.