In: Physics
(a) The Hubble Space Telescope is in a nearly circular orbit, approximately 610 km (380 mi) above the surface of the Earth. Estimate its orbital period from the generalized version of Kepler’s third law.
(b) Communications and weather satellites are often placed in geosynchronous orbits. A geosynchronous orbit is an orbit about the Earth with orbital period P exactly equal to one sidereal day. A special kind of geosynchronous orbit is when the satellite has an inclination of 0˝ from the Earth’s ecliptic plane and is at the equator. This is a geostationary orbit, also called a ‘parking orbit’ because it always appears ‘parked’ at a fixed location in the sky, above a fixed location on the earth. At what altitude must these satellites be located? What is the orbital velocity vgs of a satellite on a circular geostationary orbit?
(c) Is it possible for a satellite in a geosynchronous orbit to remain ‘parked’ over any location on the surface of the Earth? Why or why not?