How long does it take to build a satellite?

Answer 1

The time it takes to put together a satellite varies on the size and structure of the satellite. A simple satellite could be put together in a couple of months, where a large science mission could take ten or more years.

Answer 2

That depends on the purpose and altitude of the satellite. Communications and weather satellites are generally in geosynchronous 24 hour orbits 23,000 miles up, while GPS satellites are typically in 12-hour polar orbits at an altitude of about 11,000 miles. Photo reconnaissance satellites can be anywhere from 100 miles up to a few thousand miles up, but generally lower to get better camera resolution.

Answer 3

That depends on the altitude. Low altitude satellites, about 140 miles up, take about 90 minutes to orbit. Communications satellites 23,000 miles up take 24 hours. The higher the orbit, the longer it takes.

Answer 4

That completely depends on how far off the surface of the earth their orbit is. The smallest possible satellite orbit is one that's just barely above enough of the atmosphere ... maybe 150 miles up. The revolution period at that distance is about 90 minutes. From there, the farther out they are, the longer it takes for them to go around the earth. At a distance of 238,000 miles (the distance to the moon), it takes almost a month to go around the earth. What a coincidence !

Answer 5

The altitude of the orbit is inversely related to the orbital period. The higher the satellite, the longer the orbit.

"Low Earth Orbit" satellites, or LEO for short, orbit in about 90 minutes. There are satellites at all different altitudes (with different purposes) all with different orbits. Satellites in Geo-synchronouse Earth Orbit, or GEO, orbit the earth every 24 hours. These are mostly communication satellites, where the satellite needs to stay in one place over the earth.

Answer 6

A satellite in stationary orbit, like most communication satellites, orbits the earth exactly once per day. This is why they appear to be stationary relative to the ground.

Answer 7

A half hour after launch rockes with sattelites ar in "orbit" (low orbit).

After a few days they may be in geostationary insertion orbit.

Answer 8

It depends on its altitude.