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  1. About
  2. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
  3. Copernicus Maritime Surveillance Service
  4. Satellites and Sensors
  5. Can the CMS satellites monitor one place continuously?

Can the CMS satellites monitor one place continuously?




No. In general, there are two sorts of satellites: 1) polar orbiting satellites, that orbit the globe around the poles, and 2) geosynchronous satellites, that orbit the globe in the same direction as the earth is rotating, which means they can constantly be at a fixed point above the earth.  

The satellites used by EMSA are low altitude earth observation satellites, and these are all polar orbiting. Geosynchronous satellites tend to be used more for weather, communications and global position data.

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