(a) The Hubble Space Telescope is in a nearly circular orbit,approximately 610 km (380 mi) above the surface of the Earth.Estimate its orbital period from the generalized version ofKepler’s third law.
(b) Communications and weather satellites are often placed ingeosynchronous orbits. A geosynchronous orbit is an orbit about theEarth with orbital period P exactly equal to one sidereal day. Aspecial kind of geosynchronous orbit is when the satellite has aninclination of 0˝ from the Earth’s ecliptic plane and is at theequator. This is a geostationary orbit, also called a ‘parkingorbit’ because it always appears ‘parked’ at a fixed location inthe sky, above a fixed location on the earth. At what altitude mustthese satellites be located? What is the orbital velocity vgs of asatellite on a circular geostationary orbit?
(c) Is it possible for a satellite in a geosynchronous orbit toremain ‘parked’ over any location on the surface of the Earth? Whyor why not?