High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! A geosynchronous transfer orbit or geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) is a Hohmann transfer orbit used to reach geosynchronous or geostationary orbit. It is a highly elliptical Earth orbit with apogee at about 35,700 km, geostationary (GEO) altitude, and an argument of perigee such that apogee occurs on or near the equator. Perigee can be anywhere above the atmosphere, but is usually limited to only a few hundred km to reduce launcher delta-v (V) requirements and to limit the orbital lifetime of the spent booster.