What is the altitude of geostationary satellites?

Geostationary satellites orbit the Earth at an altitude of approximately 22,236 miles, or about 35,786 kilometers. This specific altitude allows a satellite to match the Earth's rotational period, effectively allowing the satellite to remain in a fixed position relative to the surface of the Earth.

At this altitude, the gravitational pull of the Earth and the centrifugal force of the satellite's orbital motion balance each other, enabling the satellite to orbit the Earth once every 24 hours. This characteristic is crucial for communications, weather monitoring, and other applications where constant coverage of a specific geographical area is required.

Other altitudes, such as 520 miles or 10,000 miles, do not provide this unique capability because they do not align with the Earth's rotational speed, resulting in the satellite moving relative to the Earth's surface. Similarly, the 50,000-mile altitude is well outside the realm of geostationary orbit, where the effects of gravity and orbital dynamics deviate significantly from those that allow synchronous rotation with the Earth. Thus, 22,236 miles stands out as the correct altitude for geostationary satellites.