The Science Explained
Geostationary satellites, such as NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES)–R Series and Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO), orbit 22,236 miles above Earth’s equator, at speeds equal to the Earth's rotation. This allows them to maintain their positions over specific geographic regions so they can provide continuous coverage of that area over time.
Lesson Summary
Explore how geostationary satellites orbit Earth and observe weather phenomena in an interactive demonstration.
Objectives
The learner will:
- Model the orbital mechanics of a geostationary satellite to understand how it moves and what it observes.
- Explain the benefits that geostationary satellites provide meteorologists, forecasters and emergency teams on Earth.
Procedure
Step One
In groups of three, assign students’ roles as Earth, GEO 1 and GEO 2 and give students the appropriate name tags to wear (can be attached with safety pins, tape or Velcro).
Step Two
Place Earth in the center with two Weather Tags on each arm. GEO 1 will stand facing the right arm and walk backwards three steps away; GEO 2 will do the same next to the left arm.
Step Three
Earth will rotate or spin slowly in place counterclockwise, and GEO 1 and 2 will need to revolve (circle around) Earth at the same speed. The challenge will be for GEO 1 and 2 to match their orbital speed to match Earth’s rotation so they always see the same weather tags.
Step Four
Students will observe what happens and record their observations and answers to the journal prompts in their science journals.
Did You Know?
GeoXO is a collaborative mission between NOAA and NASA. NASA will manage the development of the satellites for NOAA, which will oversee operation of the satellites and distribution of their data worldwide. NOAA and NASA are working with commercial partners to design and build the GeoXO spacecraft and instruments.