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Flat Earth Debate / Geostationary Satellites
« on: January 29, 2014, 09:41:27 AM »I'm presuming this is a recurring type of question, but if the earth is a flat disk, how can a geostationary satellite work?
A geostationary satellite (artificial) is an object in an equatorial orbit 35,786km in altitude. In a RE model, the orbit has to be equatorial as this is the furthest point away from the axis of rotation (Difficult to explain, but try I am sure many people understand the concept). A satellite could not orbit in an orbit less than the maximum diameter of the spherical earth; as a true orbit, like of the moon, can exist without any course corrections:
(please excuse diagram, it is rough and is designed to show basic ideas)
If the flat Earth model were true then a geostationary 'orbit' could surely be achieved everywhere as gravity must be relatively constant and there is no idea of centrifugal or centripetal force holding objects in orbit. Furthermore how could an object create the energy required to stay over the same spot on a disk? As most communications satellites do not have the capability to overcome acceleration due to gravity (9.8ms^-2). Even in FE physics this surely cannot happen.
Please point out any gaps in my argument as I would like to ensure all my points are clear.