Altitude is the single parameter that most dramatically shapes what a constellation can do. Moving from LEO to GEO changes footprint by 100×, latency by 100×, and satellites needed by 1000×.
Altitude is the single parameter that most dramatically shapes what a constellation can do. Moving from LEO to GEO changes footprint by 100×, latency by 100×, and satellites needed by 1000×.
GEO is incredibly efficient for broad coverage. But physics demands you pay for that efficiency in latency.
LEO broadband constellations are a direct response to GEO's latency and capacity limitations.
This tradeoff explains why the space industry has radically shifted toward LEO for communications — and why tracking now handles thousands of satellites rather than dozens.