Orbital Slot
A specific longitudinal position in the geostationary arc, assigned or coordinated through the ITU, at which a satellite is licensed to operate. Also called a geostationary orbital position.
Full Definition
The geostationary orbit (GEO) is a finite resource: satellites must be spaced sufficiently far apart in longitude to avoid mutual interference. An orbital slot (or orbital position) is the designated longitude — expressed in degrees East or West — at which a satellite network is authorised to operate under ITU coordination. National administrations submit filings to the ITU to claim orbital slots, and rights are established on a first-come, first-served basis after successful coordination. Editors must render orbital positions consistently in a document: degrees followed by 'E' or 'W' without a space (e.g., '28.5°E', '101°W'). The term 'slot' is informal; formal documents use 'orbital position' or 'nominal longitude'.
Usage
Usage note: Use 'orbital slot' in operational and commercial documents; prefer 'orbital position' or 'nominal geostationary position' in formal regulatory filings. Express positions as degrees East or West with the ° symbol: '36°E', not '36E' or '36 degrees East'.
In Context
- "The operator acquired rights to the 21.5°W orbital slot following successful frequency coordination with three adjacent network administrations." — Regulatory Filing Summary
- "Ground station pointing parameters must be updated each time a new satellite is moved into the 28.5°E orbital slot." — Operations Change Notice