Satellite Communications & Orbit Types for Military and Civil Applications Practice Test

The key idea is that being closer to the user means the radio link suffers less path loss. In a link-budget sense, the power that must be sent from the ground to reach the satellite at a usable level is lower when the satellite is in Low Earth Orbit, because the distance is much shorter. That’s why one clear advantage of LEO is that less transmit power is required to communicate with the satellite for the same service quality.

Dwell time isn’t an advantage here—LEO satellites move quickly across the sky, so they’re visible for only a short period at any given location. Higher atmospheric penetration isn’t a standard standout benefit of LEO, and unlimited coverage isn’t true because a single LEO satellite covers only a limited footprint. To achieve broad, continuous coverage, a larger constellation is needed.