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Where is satellites are located and how is it located?

All existing communication satellites are geo-stationary or earth-synchronous. This implies that they circle the earth in a particular orbit, at the similar speed as the earth itself. All geo-stationary satellites revolve around the earth at a height of 36,000 km, precisely over the equator. Their positions vary from east to west in accordance with international agreements.

Communications satellites are positioned in orbital 'slots' allocated under international treaty by the ITU and a separation between slots of 2° or 3° of orbital longitude is common. A geostationary orbit is a circular orbit 35,786 kilometres above the Earth's equator and following the direction of the Earth's rotation. An object in such an orbit has an orbital period equal to the Earth's rotational period and thus appears motionless, at a fixed position in the sky, to ground observers.


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