Satellites · 7

Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)

Satellites in medium Earth orbit — home of the navigation constellations.

BeiDouOperational
China's global navigation satellite system, using a mix of medium-Earth, geostationary, and inclined geosynchronous orbits.
OperatorCNSAOrbitMEOSize≈ 35 satellites across MEO, GEO, and inclined geosynchronous orbits
Galileo (navigation system)Operational
Europe's civil global navigation satellite system — owned by the EU and operated through EUSPA, with ESA as the design and procurement agent — offering high-accuracy positioning independent of GPS.
OperatorEuropean Union (EUSPA / ESA)OrbitMEOSize≈ 24 operational satellites plus spares
GLONASSOperational
Russia's global navigation satellite system, providing worldwide positioning and timing from medium Earth orbit.
OperatorRoscosmosOrbitMEOSize≈ 24 operational satellites
GPS (Global Positioning System)Operational
The United States' global navigation satellite system, providing worldwide positioning, navigation, and timing from medium Earth orbit.
OperatorUnited States Space ForceOrbitMEOSize≈ 31 operational satellites
O3bActive
SES's medium-Earth-orbit broadband constellation delivering low-latency connectivity to telecom, maritime, and enterprise customers between the tropics and beyond.
OperatorSESOrbitMEO
Telstar 1Retired
The first active communications satellite, which relayed the first transatlantic television signals in 1962.
OperatorAT&T / Bell LabsOrbitMEOLaunched1962
Vanguard 1Retired (still in orbit)
An early U.S. technology and science satellite — the oldest human-made object still in orbit, and the first satellite to use solar cells.
OperatorU.S. Naval Research LaboratoryOrbitMEOLaunched1958

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