RKLBRocket Lab+Neutron.DevLUNRIntuitive+IM-2.LandingASTSAST Space+BlueBird.DeployPLPlanet Labs+Pelican.LaunchBKSYBlackSky+Gen-3.LiveSPIRSpire+100.SatsRDWRedwire+ISM.ModuleIRDMIridium+IoT.ExpandVSATViasat+ViaSat-3.LiveSPACEXSpaceX+Starship.V3FUND.YTD2025-26$12B+.Raised
Glossary / Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)
Orbits

Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)

The orbital region between LEO and GEO, roughly 2,000 to 35,786 km altitude, used by navigation constellations like GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS.

Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) spans the region between approximately 2,000 km and 35,786 km altitude. It is best known as the home of global navigation satellite systems: GPS orbits at roughly 20,200 km, Galileo at 23,222 km, and GLONASS at 19,100 km. The orbital periods in MEO range from about 2 to 24 hours.

MEO provides a balance between the coverage area of higher orbits and the signal strength of lower ones. Some next-generation broadband constellations, such as O3b mPOWER, operate in MEO to offer lower latency than GEO while requiring fewer satellites than a LEO constellation.

Related Terms

Geostationary Orbit (GEO)
Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO)
Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
← Back to glossary