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Loading contentGlobal navigation systems — GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, and BeiDou all fly in MEO.
The band of orbits between low Earth orbit and the geostationary altitude. Its multi-hour periods and wide coverage make it ideal for navigation constellations, typically near 20,000 km.
Global navigation systems — GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, and BeiDou all fly in MEO.
7 satellites and constellations modelled in this orbit.
China's global navigation satellite system, using a mix of medium-Earth, geostationary, and inclined geosynchronous orbits.
Europe's civil global navigation satellite system — owned by the EU and operated through EUSPA, with ESA as the design and procurement agent — offering high-accuracy positioning independent of GPS.
Russia's global navigation satellite system, providing worldwide positioning and timing from medium Earth orbit.
The United States' global navigation satellite system, providing worldwide positioning, navigation, and timing from medium Earth orbit.
SES's medium-Earth-orbit broadband constellation delivering low-latency connectivity to telecom, maritime, and enterprise customers between the tropics and beyond.
The first active communications satellite, which relayed the first transatlantic television signals in 1962.
An early U.S. technology and science satellite — the oldest human-made object still in orbit, and the first satellite to use solar cells.
Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.
European missions, observatories, and space science imagery.