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The leading powers of the world are eager to know what the others are above the equator. For more than a decade, the US military has been using “surveillance” satellites designed to track other aircraft in geosynchronous orbit and take pictures. China began launching its own satellites for a similar mission in 2018.
Ars is there documentation of these services in geosynchronous orbit (GEO) in the past, but the past few months have seen a number of interesting developments. First, Russia has now joined the fray with the recent arrival of its suspected satellite (or attack) in GEO. Second, the US Space Force is ready to order more satellites, perhaps even more, to send into the geosynchronous belt.
GEO is unique. The laws of orbital mechanics mean a satellite in such an orbit, about 22,000 kilometers (36,000 miles) above the equator, moves around the Earth at a rate equal to the rotation of the planets, causing it to move in the same position. Commercial and military geosynchronous satellites often spend years in the same location, or at the same location, to communicate with their users.
