Question
Question: A communications Earth satellite...
A communications Earth satellite
A
goes round the earth from east to west
B
can be in the equatorial plane only
C
can be vertically above any place on the earth
D
goes round the earth from west to east
Answer
goes round the earth from west to east
Explanation
Solution
A common type of communications Earth satellite is the geostationary satellite. A geostationary satellite orbits the Earth in the same direction as the Earth's rotation and with the same period. The Earth rotates from west to east. Therefore, a geostationary satellite must also orbit from west to east to appear stationary relative to the ground. This allows ground antennas to remain fixed, which is crucial for continuous communication.