When a satellite orbits around the earth at constant speed it does what?

Answer 1

The earth's orbit around the sun is elliptical, so the earth moves at a constantly varying velocity as it moves closer to the sun (perihelion) or further away (aphelion). The earth's angular velocity (speed of movement) is considerably greater at perihelion than it is at aphelion.

So in that sense, the earth orbits at a constantly varying speed.

But there is a sense in which the earth orbits at constant speed. Similar segments of the elliptical orbit are crossed in similar lengths of time wherever the earth is in its orbital path. The earth gets through 10% of its path in the same length of time whether it is at aphelion (moving slowly) or perihelion (moving fast).

The absolute speed at which the earth moves varies, but the rate at which it orbits is constant.

---- The realisation that the earth's orbit was both speed variant (absolute speed of motion) and speed constant (segment of elliptical orbit covered) was the crucial breakthrough that allowed Johannes Kepler to solve the longstanding problem of the regression of Mercury (why Mercury appears to go backward in its orbit some of the time). Discovering that the earth's orbit is elliptical (astronomers had always assumed orbits were based on perfect circles) was how Kepler showed finally that the earth goes around the sun (and not the other way around).

Answer 2

It depends by how close the satellite is to earth. The closer it is, the faster. The farther away, the slower. So, yes, it can. 30 thousand miles above the Earth to be about the same speed as Earth's rotational speed.

Answer 3

When a satellite orbits at a constant speed, it is actually accelerating towards the Earth due to gravity, but its tangential velocity is balanced by the gravitational force pulling it inward. This results in a stable orbit as the satellite continuously falls towards Earth while moving sideways fast enough to stay in orbit.

Answer 4

When a satellite orbit's the Earth it collects data and there is just one satellite.

Answer 5

Within the course of several human lifetimes, yes.

Answer 6

Yes. Once a year, at periapsis (when Earth is closest to the Sun, in January), the Earth moves faster; six months later, at apoapsis, it moves slower.