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In geostationary orbit, arrays of solar panels can track the Sun and gather energy 24/7, sending it to Earth in microwave beams gentle enough to avoid frying birds and airplanes.

Most communications satellites at the time rested in a geostationary orbit, which matched the Earth’s rotation, fixing each craft in place from the perspective of someone on the ground.

As opposed to low-Earth orbit, which hosts things like the International Space Station, the EchoStar-7 was in the higher geostationary orbit, following the line of Earth’s Equator in a circle.

The Ministry of Defense already has access to communication satellites in geostationary orbit, but use of Starlink technology, operated by Musk's SpaceX, would add a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit, the Yomiuri said.

NASA, meanwhile, canceled development of its troubled GeoCarb mission, designed to track CO2 levels from geostationary orbit.