(1) (
High
Earth
Orbit) A communications satellite orbit that is higher than a geostationary earth orbit (see
GEO).
(2) (
Highly
Elliptical
Orbit) A communications satellite that travels in a figure-8 elliptical pattern. It has its longest duration when it is farthest from the earth (at its apogee) and is in a high earth orbit at that point (definition #1 above). For example, Sirius Satellite Radio uses a constellation of three satellites in the highly elliptical Tundra orbits over North and South America. See
GEO and
LEO.