What is the Difference Between Low Earth Orbit and Geosynchronous Orbit?
Low earth orbit is only slightly above the Earth, by outer space standards, 200 – 2000 km (124 – 1240 miles) in altitude. Below 124 miles, orbits rapidly degrade, causing surface impact, and above 1,240 miles or even less, the Earth’s radiation belts damage electronic equipment, necessitating special shielding. The region from 1,243 miles altitude to geostationary orbit (35,786 kilometers or 22,236 mi) is known as Medium Earth Orbit. Low earth orbit, medium earth orbit, and geostationary orbit are known as LEO, MEO, and GSO respectively. By comparison, the Moon orbits the Earth at an altitude of approximately 384,399 km (238,854 mi), putting GSO at about 10% of the way to the Moon. Low earth orbit is only about 1% of the way to the Moon. The International Space Station, probably the most familiar object currently in orbit aside from the Moon, fluctuates between 320 km and 347 km above the surface of the Earth. Objects in low earth orbit revolve around the Earth frequently, with the Int
