Why are Starlink satellites deployed in Low Earth Orbit (LEO)?

Hello, that's a great question, and many people wonder about it. I'll try to explain it in simple terms.

Simply put, placing satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) has one core purpose: experience. It's all about making your internet usage feel no different from fiber optic broadband on the ground.

Think about what we hate most when using the internet: buffering (high latency) and pixelated videos (slow speeds). Starlink puts its satellites so low precisely to solve these two problems.

1. Ultra-low Latency (Say Goodbye to Buffering)

This is the most crucial reason.

Physical distance dictates everything: Traditional satellite TV or satellite phones use Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites, which are 36,000 kilometers high. A signal's round trip takes a while, even at the speed of light, resulting in latency of over 600 milliseconds.
Starlink's advantage: Starlink satellites are in low orbit, around 550 kilometers high. The distance is reduced by dozens of times, bringing round-trip latency down to 20-40 milliseconds.

What does this mean?

Imagine this: a GEO satellite is like you shouting to someone in New York from Beijing, and by the time they hear you and shout back, half a day has passed. A LEO satellite is like you two shouting to each other from opposite ends of a football field – you hear each other instantly.

For scenarios like gaming, video calls, and online meetings, low latency is critical. Nobody wants to fire a shot in CS:GO only for the bullet to travel a fraction of a second later, right?

2. Higher Speeds (No More Pixelation)

The closer the satellite, the stronger the signal, just like a flashlight beam is brighter when closer to a wall.

Signal strength: Stronger signals mean more stable and efficient data transmission, leading to higher download and upload speeds. Starlink currently offers 100-200Mbps download speeds, with higher targets for the future, which is unimaginable for traditional satellite internet.
Coverage efficiency: Although a single LEO satellite covers a much smaller area than a GEO satellite, Starlink uses thousands of satellites to form a "constellation" network. Wherever you are, there will always be several satellites overhead serving you, passing the signal like a ball to ensure your internet connection remains uninterrupted.

3. Launch Costs and "Space Environmentalism"

Cheaper launches: Launching something to 550 kilometers is much less effort (and fuel) than launching it to 36,000 kilometers. This allows Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch dozens of satellites at once with a single rocket, like "dumping dumplings" into the sky, significantly reducing the deployment cost per satellite.
Easier space debris management: Satellites also have a lifespan. When a LEO satellite is decommissioned, it can use its remaining fuel to slightly lower its orbit, and then Earth's atmosphere acts like an invisible hand, slowly pulling it down to burn up. In contrast, a GEO satellite, once decommissioned, will almost certainly remain in orbit indefinitely, becoming dangerous space debris.

In Summary

Therefore, Starlink chose low orbit to achieve a miracle through sheer force – launching a massive number of satellites to form a space-based internet, in exchange for a user experience with "low latency and high bandwidth" comparable to ground fiber optics. Although technically and managerially more complex, it's all worth it to allow people in remote areas, at sea, or in the wilderness to surf the internet, play games, and watch 4K videos smoothly.