MEO
Science & Engineering abbreviation · Astronomy & Space
| Stands for | Medium Earth orbit |
|---|---|
| Categories | Science & Engineering |
MEO stands for Medium Earth orbit, an astronomy & Space abbreviation.
Region between low Earth orbit and geostationary orbit, roughly 2,000 to 35,786 kilometers in altitude. Navigation satellite systems operate there: GPS satellites orbit at about 20,200 kilometers, completing two orbits per day.
Example: Galileo satellites in MEO at about 23,200 kilometers provide Europe's navigation signal.
Usage notes
Russia's GLONASS and China's BeiDou also use MEO, and some broadband constellations such as O3b mPOWER use it to reduce latency compared with geostationary satellites. MEO passes through parts of the Van Allen radiation belts, so electronics must be hardened.