They act as an alternative to a satellite by beaming internet onto a target area – much like satellite TV companies such as Sky do from geostationary satellites.
Instead of "hovering" two geostationary satellites over the equator due south of its American market like XM, Sirius chose to fly three satellites in an orbit that is 29,000 miles above the earth and inclined at an angle to the equator.
Eventually, when Hugh Panera, XM Radio's chief executive, was able to flip the switch, the company's two geostationary satellites began beaming 100 channels of CD-quality music and talk to listeners in San Diego and Dallas the two first test markets.But no sooner had the trials started than another problem emerged.
Even a basic capability to push in one direction would allow nanosats to remain in orbit longer, or allow a satellite that has been placed into low-Earth orbit, using an inexpensive launch provider, to nudge itself to a higher geostationary orbit.
A collector on Earth that was picking up power from a geostationary satellite orbiting at an altitude of 35,800km would need to be spread over hundreds of square metres.
Advocates of "satellite solar power", for example, dream of beaming gigawatts of solar power down to Earth from geostationary satellites more than 35,000km up.
From 20km a blimp would be able to continuously survey an area the size of Texas for months at a time, but in greater detail and at much lower cost than geostationary satellites or those moving in low Earth orbit.Despite the problems, dirigibles are coming back into service.
Since these orbit closer to the earth than geostationary satellites, they will provide even more detail.
However, one problem with the most common, "geostationary" type of satellite aloft today is that, to serve an area all the time, it must be parked far enough from the earth that it can match the rotation of the planet exactly and stay over a fixed point on the ground.
But many, including all the geostationary communications satellites, have to contend with electrons in the outer belt.
Turnover among operators of satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO) grew by 7-8% laccording according to Northern Sky Research NSRR); analysts at Euroconsult, a rival research firm, put the figure even higher, at 11%.
