WHAT ARE SATELLITES?

In today’s technological world, we have some of the most efficient, convenient, affordable, and fascinating “gadgets”. For many of the advances we now enjoy, satellites are essential. In this article, we wanted to provide helpful information as to what satellites are and the ways in which they are used. The bottom line is that a satellite is an object that revolves around a planet, usually the earth, in an elliptical or circular path. In addition to manmade satellites, there are also natural satellites such as the moon rotating around earth.

For manmade satellites, these are launched by rockets or a spacecraft into space. Remember, satellites used for technology are massive so powerful rocket propulsion is required to get it to its location. The satellites used today are amazing. Depending on the satellite, some help our military branches with spying or reconnaissance, some are used for GPS tracking and other types of navigation, satellites are used for scientific experimentation, and then you have those used for providing crisp and clear television.

The location and pathway of the satellite follows an orbit. Then, the farthest point from the earth is known as the apogee while the nearest point is the perigee. The manmade satellites that are sent into space are all custom-built, each designed for a specific function. The only satellites that are mass-produced are the Iridium satellites with more than 60 orbits and GPS satellites, which have more than 20 in orbit. In addition to the satellites that better our society, some 23,000 other pieces of junk float out in space, which consist of various satellites, rocket boosters, etc that have outlived usefulness.

The first satellite to orbit earth was the famous Soviet Sputnik, which launched back in 1957. This particular satellite was quite small, measuring just 23 inches and weighing 184 pounds. As you can imagine, getting Sputnik into space was a huge accomplishment, which paved the way for greater success. Interesting, the first Soviet satellite was simplistic in design, featuring a battery, thermometer, nitrogen gas, and a radio transmitter. Then with four whip antennas, signals could be shot back to earth on shortwave frequencies.

Today, signals come from the citizen’s band, which is far more powerful and reliable. Although Sputnik only lasted 92 days in space before gravity pulled it back toward earth where it would burn in the atmosphere, it was again a massive milestone to the future. One of the latest and greatest is the geostationary satellites, which are three specific orbiting satellites that have precise positioning. As a result, these three satellites are capable of providing coverage for the entire world due to the type of placement and rotation. Now, other satellites are sent into space where they travel in one direction rather than repeating a rotation.

For satellites to have power, they use radiation and the sun’s energy. Additionally, for the satellites to run properly and maintain error-free signals, they must be equipped with different devices. As an example, satellites can record temperatures and more. Currently, we have hundreds of satellites in space, all orbiting around our planet. The purpose and type of the satellite determines how far into space it moves. In other words, GPS satellites are positioned lower so they are not in a fixed position. Without doubt, satellites have changed our world in many ways. Some newspaper companies are now able to receive signals sooner than others, giving them an advantage over competition and even limousine and taxi drivers now use GPS when looking for a better, safer, and more affordable route. With satellites, the possibilities are endless.

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