What's the difference between LEO, MEO, and GEO?

LEO, MEO, and GEO are three altitude bands above Earth. LEO (Low Earth Orbit) sits between ~160 and 2,000 km: fast, close, cheap to reach. MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) covers 2,000 to 35,786 km and is home to navigation constellations like GPS. GEO (Geostationary Orbit) sits at exactly 35,786 km where a satellite circles in lockstep with Earth's rotation, appearing fixed over one point.

Earth orbits are usually grouped into three buckets by altitude: LEO, MEO, and GEO. Each band has fundamentally different physics, costs, and use cases.

LEO: Low Earth Orbit

Altitude: roughly 160 km to 2,000 km. Orbital period: 90-120 minutes. Use cases: Earth observation, broadband constellations (Starlink, OneWeb), the International Space Station, most science missions.

LEO is close. That means:

Signals make a fast round trip (typical latency ~20-40 ms vs ~600 ms for GEO)
Imaging cameras can resolve small features without giant optics
Launch is cheap relative to higher altitudes
Each satellite only sees a small area, so global coverage requires constellations of dozens to thousands
Atmospheric drag is non-trivial. Satellites below ~600 km need periodic reboosting or they re-enter within a few years

MEO: Medium Earth Orbit

Altitude: 2,000 km to 35,786 km. Orbital period: several hours. Use cases: Global navigation constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou), some communications operators (SES O3b mPOWER).

MEO is the navigation band. Visibility from any point on Earth’s surface to at least four satellites at a time (needed for trilateration) is achievable with ~24-30 satellites. Latency sits between LEO and GEO. Most regional broadband players have skipped MEO in favour of LEO, with SES being the notable exception.

GEO: Geostationary Orbit

Altitude: 35,786 km (a specific value, the radius where orbital period exactly matches Earth’s 23h 56min sidereal rotation). Orbital period: 24 hours. Use cases: Direct-to-home television (Dish, DirecTV), weather satellites (GOES, Himawari, Meteosat), fixed-pointing communications.

A GEO satellite appears fixed over a single equatorial spot. That means:

Ground antennas don’t have to track. A fixed dish works
One satellite covers about a third of the planet
Latency is high (~600 ms round trip)
Launch is expensive, satellites are large, and the GEO arc is finite (a regulated resource, only so many slots above the equator)

The new “between” bands

The traditional three-bucket model is fraying. New constellations sit deliberately in the high-LEO / low-MEO gap (e.g., Inmarsat’s I-7s in inclined GEO, Telesat Lightspeed at 1,000-1,300 km). The boundaries are conventional, not physical. What matters is what physics the operator is exploiting.

For companies operating in each band, see the orbit tags: /tags/leo, /tags/meo, /tags/geo.

COMPANIES MENTIONED50

AAC Clyde Space Designs and manufactures small satellite platforms and subsystems, operates satellite constellations, and delivers space-based data services
AST SpaceMobile Operates a space-based cellular broadband network delivering 4G and 5G connectivity directly to standard smartphones via LEO satellites
ATLAS Space Operations Operates a cloud-native federated ground station network providing Ground Software as a Service for satellite telemetry, tracking, and command
Aalyria Develops network orchestration software and laser communication terminals that unify satellite, airborne, maritime, and ground networks into a single managed system
Aerospacelab Designs and manufactures satellite platforms, subsystems, and Earth observation payloads for LEO constellations, from 50 kg to 5,000 kg
Aetherflux Develops space-based solar power satellites that collect sunlight in low Earth orbit and transmit energy to portable ground receivers via infrared lasers
Agnikul Cosmos Designs, manufactures, and launches small-lift orbital rockets powered by single-piece 3D-printed semi-cryogenic engines for dedicated small-satellite missions
Alba Orbital Designs and manufactures PocketQube picosatellites, brokers rideshare launches, and operates a nighttime Earth observation constellation
Albedo Designs and manufactures flight-proven Very Low Earth Orbit satellite buses for defense, communications, and specialized payload operators
Andøya Space Operates sounding rocket ranges and Europe's northernmost orbital spaceport, providing launch services, defence testing, drone operations, and space education from northern Norway
Antaris Provides a cloud-based software platform for satellite mission design, digital twin simulation, flight software, and constellation operations
Arianespace Operates Ariane 6 and Vega C launch vehicles from the Guiana Space Centre, serving European institutional and global commercial satellite customers
ArkEdge Space Designs, manufactures, and operates micro-satellite constellations for maritime communications, earth observation, positioning, and deep space exploration
Astra Space Develops small-lift launch vehicles with mobile launch infrastructure and manufactures Hall-effect electric propulsion systems for satellite constellations
Astranis
Astrocast Operates a nanosatellite IoT network providing bidirectional, low-power satellite connectivity for remote asset tracking and monitoring across maritime, agriculture, and industrial sectors
Astroscale Designs and operates spacecraft for on-orbit servicing, including debris removal, satellite life extension, and refueling across LEO and GEO
Atomos Space Develops orbital transfer vehicles for in-space transportation, satellite life extension, and payload delivery services
Avio Manufactures solid and liquid propulsion systems for European space launchers and produces the Vega family of small-lift launch vehicles
Axelspace Designs, manufactures, and operates microsatellite constellations for Earth observation and provides one-stop satellite mission services
Axiom Space Develops commercial space station modules, operates private astronaut missions to the ISS, and produces next-generation EVA spacesuits
BULL Co., Ltd. Develops post-mission disposal devices using drag sail technology to prevent spacecraft and launch vehicle stages from becoming space debris
Bellatrix Aerospace Develops electric and green propulsion systems for satellites and operates an orbital transfer vehicle for precise in-space deployment
Benchmark Space Systems Designs and manufactures chemical, electric, and hybrid propulsion systems for spacecraft ranging from cubesats to orbital transfer vehicles
BlackSky Technology Operates a high-revisit Earth observation constellation and AI-powered Spectra platform for real-time geospatial intelligence and automated monitoring
Blue Origin Develops reusable heavy-lift launch vehicles, rocket engines, lunar landers, in-space logistics platforms, and satellite communications constellations
CAS Space Develops solid and liquid-propellant launch vehicles for dedicated and rideshare satellite missions, suborbital scientific experimentation, and space tourism
Capella Space Designs, manufactures, and operates X-band synthetic aperture radar satellites delivering sub-meter resolution Earth observation imagery in all weather conditions
CesiumAstro Designs, manufactures, and integrates software-defined phased array communications systems, payloads, and satellites for space, airborne, and ground platforms
Chang Guang Satellite Technology Manufactures and operates the Jilin-1 constellation of over 100 optical remote sensing satellites and provides geospatial data products and services
China National Space Administration Governs China's civil space programs, oversees lunar and planetary exploration missions, and coordinates international space cooperation
ClearSpace Designs and operates robotic spacecraft for active debris removal, satellite life extension, and in-orbit inspection services
Cognitive Space Develops AI-powered satellite constellation management and mission planning software for commercial operators and government agencies
D-Orbit Operates orbital transfer vehicles for last-mile satellite delivery, hosted payload services, space cloud computing, and in-orbit servicing
Dawn Aerospace Manufactures non-toxic green propulsion systems for satellites and operates reusable suborbital spaceplanes for research and high-speed flight
Deep Blue Aerospace Develops reusable liquid-fueled launch vehicles and kerosene rocket engines for commercial orbital and suborbital launch services
Dhruva Space Builds satellite platforms, orbital deployers, and ground stations, providing full-stack space engineering solutions for civilian and defense clients
Digantara Builds space surveillance satellites and ground-based sensor networks for space domain awareness, missile warning, and space traffic management
EDGX Develops radiation-resilient onboard AI computers that enable satellites to process data and run inference directly in orbit
Electro Optic Systems Designs and manufactures defence weapon systems, high energy laser weapons, counter-drone systems, and space domain awareness technologies
ElevationSpace Develops small recoverable spacecraft for microgravity research and manufacturing, with high-frequency cargo return services from low Earth orbit
EnduroSat Designs, builds, and operates software-defined small satellites and shared satellite platforms for commercial and scientific missions worldwide
Esper Satellite Imagery Builds and operates hyperspectral imaging microsatellites for mineral exploration, agriculture, and defense applications
Eta Space Develops cryogenic propellant management systems for in-space storage, transfer, and refueling, and liquid hydrogen infrastructure for terrestrial energy applications
European Space Agency Intergovernmental agency coordinating European space programs across science, Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications, and human spaceflight
Eutelsat Group Operates a multi-orbit satellite fleet combining 33 geostationary satellites and a 600+ LEO constellation to deliver broadcast, broadband, and connectivity services globally
ExPace Operates the Kuaizhou family of solid-fueled small-lift launch vehicles for commercial and government satellite delivery to low Earth orbit
ExoAnalytic Solutions Operates a global optical telescope network and develops space domain awareness, missile defense, and national security space technologies
Exolaunch Provides rideshare launch services, mission management, and satellite deployment hardware for smallsats and CubeSats across multiple launch vehicles worldwide
Exotrail Designs electric propulsion systems for small satellites and operates orbital transfer vehicles for last-mile delivery and in-orbit services

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