geostationary

adjective

geo·​sta·​tion·​ary ˌjē-ō-ˈstā-shə-ˌner-ē 

: being or having an equatorial orbit at an altitude of about 22,300 miles (35,900 kilometers) requiring an angular velocity the same as that of the earth so that the position of a satellite in such an orbit is fixed with respect to the earth

Examples of geostationary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

China is currently conducting experiments high above the Earth, with the Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 satellites apparently conducting rendezvous and proximity operations (RPOs), docking and performing a first-ever refueling in geostationary orbit. —Andrew Jones, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2025

While most satellite internet services operate from single geostationary satellites orbiting Earth at about 22,236 miles, Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites that operate from a low-Earth orbit, about 341 miles up. —Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 7 Oct. 2025

Big, geostationary spacecraft have been providing internet service from 22,000 miles up since the mid-1990s. —Noah Shachtman, Wired News, 22 Sep. 2025

Akhavan attributed some of the decline to Starlink’s low-Earth orbiting satellites, which can deliver far lower latency compared with Hughesnet's high-orbiting geostationary satellites. —Senior Reporter, PC Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for geostationary

• accretionary
• apothecary
• bicentenary
• certiorari
• concessionary
• concretionary
• confectionary
• confectionery
• constabulary
• contemporary
• deflationary
• depositary