What does it mean for a satellite to be in geosynchronous orbit?

It means that the satellite's orbital period is equal to the Earth's rotation period ... roughly 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds ... so that the satellite always stays over the same longitude.
IF that satellite's orbit has also been carefully placed over the equator, THEN the satellite is in a 'geostationary' orbit. It appears motionless in the sky, and can be used to sell 900 channels of TV to people with little dishes that they never need to move.

Answered by AL2006 | 2024-06-10

A satellite in a geosynchronous orbit completes one orbit around the Earth every 24 hours, aligning its orbit with the Earth's rotation. This allows it to remain above the same point on the Earth's surface. If the orbit is also circular and directly over the equator, the satellite is in a geostationary orbit, appearing to stand still in the sky.
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Answered by AL2006 | 2024-12-26