Satellite height

How high up are weather satellites?

The altitude of the weather satellites varies depending upon purpose. The most commonly viewed satellite pictures, like the ones you see during Storm Team 12 weather, are from the GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite). These satellites are in a stationary orbit more than 22,000 miles above the Earth. This makes it possible for them to take pictures covering the entire side of the Earth that they face — from North Pole to South Pole. They can also zoom in for more cloud details, looking at an area about one-third the size of the U.S.