Re:A mile long tether? (Score 1)

Actually, only the 0-degree line of latitude will work in this case, as satellites can only occupy a geosynchronous orbit if their orbital plane is peripendicular to the earth's axis. Since the earth spins (and pretty quickly) it's not as simple a matter as putting up a satellite and parking it...it needs to orbit the earth at the same speed as the earth's rotation (taking altitude into account) and if it's not exactly on the equator then there will be some north and south motion on it (picture a hula hoop around a beach ball...you can't tip it up without it tilting down on the other side.)

-mc