Orbits and constellations.

Technologies

• LEO broadband constellations Hundreds to thousands of satellites at 300–2,000 km giving low-latency broadband and backhaul to remote and northern sites.
• MEO constellations Satellites at roughly 8,000–20,000 km used for navigation and for high-capacity, lower-latency trunking than GEO.
• GEO high-throughput satellites Fixed-position spot-beam satellites at 35,786 km for broadcast, trunking and wide-area coverage where latency is acceptable.
• HEO (Molniya and Tundra-type) orbits Highly elliptical orbits that dwell over high latitudes, giving persistent Arctic coverage that GEO cannot reach.
• Sun-synchronous and polar orbits for EO Orbits with fixed local solar time and global coverage, used by most imaging and sounding missions; drive revisit and downlink planning.
• Constellation design and coverage analysis Plane count, phasing, inclination and altitude trade studies that set revisit, capacity, latency and gateway demand for a service area.
• HAPS and HIBS stratospheric platforms Platforms at 20–50 km acting as relays or IMT base stations, filling the gap between towers and satellites.
• Very low Earth orbit (VLEO) Orbits below about 450 km with higher-resolution sensing and lower latency, traded against drag, atomic oxygen and short lifetimes.