[rjsimmon]

Different orbits are for different missions. Molniya, LEO, need for longer loiter times, larger coverage, the list goes on and on...

[bigbob]

Kepler’s Fault.

[DannyTN]

Mount rail guns on the satellites so that they can follow any orbit they want.

[freedomlover]

Placing a satellite in such an orbit keeps it in ‘lockstep’ with the Earth rotating below it once every twenty four hours.

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Clarity FAIL

Yeah the Earth rotates below it once every twenty four hours, but it ROTATES ALONG WITH THE EARTH so that (at least in the case of true geostationary orbit) it preferably stays in the same position in the sky to an observer on the ground. Makes antenna focusing a bit easier that way.

[dainbramaged]

I have seen something more than once that looks like a satellite, way faster than a jet aircraft and traveling from south to north.
Is that a possible orbit path?

[T-Bird45]

Thanks for posting the article. I’m an amateur radio operator and have always been interested in satellites used for amateur radio communications. This article is very informative so I posted it to my amateur radio club’s Facebook page.

[jagusafr]

All I remember from my 45-minute lecture in orbital mechanics at the Executive Space Course at Space Command: successful orbit is moving forward faster than you fall. Made sense to this non-science lawyer...

[Conan the Librarian]

I suggest http://www.heavens-above.com/ for desktop use and
Sat-Track for your hand held devices.

Easy to use (as long as you know your Lat-Lon) and you can actually name what you are seeing up there.

Very useful for Space Station passes.