Satellites used for telecommunications rely are kept in a geostationary orbit. A satellite is said to be in such an orbit when : 1. The orbit is geosynchronous. 2. the orbit is circular. 3. The orbit lies in the place of the Earths equator. 4. The orbit i

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Q: 3 (IAS/2011)
Satellites used for telecommunications rely are kept in a geostationary orbit. A satellite is said to be in such an orbit when :
1. The orbit is geosynchronous.
2. the orbit is circular.
3. The orbit lies in the place of the Earth’s equator.
4. The orbit is at an altitude of 22,236 km.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

question_subject: 

Science & Technology

question_exam: 

IAS

stats: 

0,151,117,151,53,24,40

keywords: 

{'geostationary orbit': [0, 0, 0, 2], 'satellites': [0, 1, 0, 0], 'satellite': [0, 0, 0, 1], 'orbit': [0, 0, 1, 1], 'telecommunications rely': [0, 0, 0, 1], 'altitude': [3, 0, 9, 13]}

The correct answer is `1, 2 and 3 only`, which suggests that for a satellite to be in geostationary orbit it must meet certain conditions:

1. The orbit is geosynchronous - This means that the satellite completes one revolution around the Earth in a time period equivalent to Earth`s rotation i.e., 24 hours. This allows the satellite to stay in the same position relative to the Earth`s surface.

2. The orbit is circular - A geostationary orbit is circular in nature. This is needed for the satellite to stay in the same place in the sky relative to an observer on Earth.

3. The orbit lies in the plane of the Earth’s equator - A geostationary orbit must be aligned with the Earth`s equator. If it wasn`t equatorial, it would appear to move in the sky.

Option 4, `The orbit is at an altitude of 22,236 km`, is not necessarily always true. While most geostationary satellites are around this altitude, the exact altitude can vary slightly depending on specifics such as the satellite’s mass and atmospheric conditions.

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