Geostationary orbit 2026-10-18
A geostationary orbit is a prograde equatorial circular Kepler orbit whose orbital period equals one sidereal day, so its satellite remains above a fixed location on Earth's equator. It is the terrestrial case of a planet-stationary orbit. Its radius follows from Newton's law of universal gravitation and circular acceleration: , approximately from Earth's centre. Its altitude above the surface is smaller by Earth's radius.
Past exam of the physics B course of the University of Cambridge 2019 Paper 1 Section A A1 Solution 2026-10-18
For two circular Kepler orbits about the same body, Kepler's third law gives . The reference radius is measured from Earth's centre:A geostationary orbit is prograde and equatorial, with one sidereal day as its orbital period. Using and the supplied ,Using instead changes this estimate by less than one per cent. This is the orbital radius, not the altitude; the corresponding altitude is about .
There is a numerical inconsistency in the source data. The quoted reference orbit implies , appreciably below the measured terrestrial value, about . Using the latter instead gives the familiar geostationary orbit radius . The boxed estimate consistently uses the period actually printed in the question.
Past exam of the physics B course of the University of Cambridge 2022 Paper 1 Section A A1 Solution 2026-10-18
The transfer is a Hohmann transfer orbit. Write for the original circular Kepler orbit radius and for the transfer ellipse's semi-major axis. The diagram measures both radii from Earth's centre, giving , and henceThe Hohmann transfer time is half the transfer orbital period, taking the satellite to the opposite end of the elliptic orbit. By Kepler's third law, relative to the original geostationary orbit's orbital period ,Using one sidereal day, , gives ; the usual approximation gives . The arrival impulse changes the velocity into that of the new circular Kepler orbit without adding coast time in the impulsive model.
There is a real discrepancy between the wording and the diagram: an increase in altitude above Earth's surface is different from the radius increase drawn. If altitude is interpreted literally, let be Earth's radius. Thenusing and . Thus answers the explicitly labelled geometry; answers the literal altitude wording.