A geosynchronous satellite is a satellite whose orbital track on the Earth repeats regularly over points on the Earth over time. If such a satellite's orbit lies over the equator and the orbit is circular, it is called a geostationary satellite. The orbits of the satellites are known as the geosynchronous orbit and geostationary orbit.

Another type of geosynchronous orbit is the Tundra elliptical orbit. A geosynchronous network is a communication network based on communication with or through geosynchronous satellites. According to Kepler's Third Law, the orbital period of a satellite in a circular orbit increases with increasing altitude.

Space stations and Shuttles in Low Earth orbit (LEO), typically two or four hundred miles above the Earth's surface make between fifteen and sixteen revolutions per day. The Moon, at an altitude of about 238,900 miles (384,400 km), takes about 27 days 7 hours to make a complete revolution . Between those extremes lies the "magic" altitude of 22,236 miles (35,786 km) at which a satellite's orbital period matches, or is an integral part of, the period at which the Earth rotates: once every sidereal day (23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds).

In that case, the satellite is said to be geosynchronous. If a geosynchronous satellite's orbit is not exactly aligned with the equator, the orbit is known as an inclined orbit. It will appear (when viewed by someone on the ground) to oscillate daily around a fixed point.

As the angle between the orbit and the equator decreases, the magnitude of this oscillation becomes smaller; when the orbit lies entirely over the equator, the satellite remains stationary relative to the Earth's surface – it is said to be geostationary.

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