Related topics: nasa , launch , space
Satellite
hideIn the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavor. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon.
The first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. By 2009 thousands of satellites have been launched into orbit around the Earth. These originate from more than 50 countries and have used the satellite launching capabilities of ten nations. A few hundred satellites are currently operational, whereas thousands of unused satellites and satellite fragments orbit the Earth as space debris. A few space probes have been placed into orbit around other bodies and become artificial satellites to the Moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
Satellites are used for a large number of purposes. Common types include military (spy) and civilian Earth observation satellites, communication satellites, navigation satellites, weather satellites, and research satellites. Space stations and human spacecraft in orbit are also satellites. Satellite orbits vary greatly, depending on the purpose of the satellite, and are classified in a number of ways. Well-known (overlapping) classes include low Earth orbit, polar orbit, and geostationary orbit.
Satellites are usually semi-independent computer controlled systems. Satellite subsystems attend many tasks, such as power generation, thermal control, telemetry, attitude control and orbit control.
For more information about Satellite, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with satellite
FCC seeking to close programming access loophole
11 hours ago |
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(AP) -- Federal regulators are seeking to close a loophole that allows cable TV operators to withhold sporting events and other popular programming that they own from rival providers such as satellite TV.
New results from a terra-ific decade in orbit
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
9 hours ago |
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December 18, 2009, marks the tenth year since the launch of Terra, one of NASA's "flagship" Earth observing satellites. But the decade is more than just a mechanical milestone. With each additional day and ...
Ecosystem, vegetation affect intensity of urban heat island effect
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
8 hours ago |
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NASA researchers studying urban landscapes have found that the intensity of the "heat island" created by a city depends on the ecosystem it replaced and on the regional climate. Urban areas developed in arid and semi-arid ...
Hubble's Festive View of a Grand Star-Forming Region (w/ Video)
9 hours ago |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Just in time for the holidays: a Hubble Space Telescope picture postcard of hundreds of brilliant blue stars wreathed by warm, glowing clouds. The festive portrait is the most detailed view of the largest ...
NASA tech zooms in on water and land
11 hours ago |
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In a pilot project that could help better manage the planet's strained natural resources, space-age technologies are helping a Washington state community monitor its water availability. NASA satellites and ...
Laurence made landfall in Western Australia
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
13 hours ago |
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Tropical Cyclone Laurence made landfall in Northwestern Australia this morning (Eastern Time) December 15, 2009. NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image of Laurence just before the center of the storm ...
Irrigation decreases, urbanization increases monsoon rains
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
14 hours ago |
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A Purdue University scientist has shown man-made changes to the landscape have affected Indian monsoon rains, suggesting that land-use decisions play an important role in climate change.
WISE satellite blasts off on space-map mission
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Dec 14, 2009 |
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NASA launched Monday a new breed of satellite called WISE on a mission to orbit Earth and map the skies to find elusive cosmic objects, including potentially dangerous asteroids.
'Monster' iceberg shedding hundreds of offshoots
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 14, 2009 |
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An island-sized iceberg is breaking up as it drifts closer to Australia, producing hundreds of smaller slabs spread over a massive area of ocean, experts said Monday.
Tropical Storm Laurence set for second Australian landfall
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 14, 2009 |
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Tropical Storm Laurence tracked through Darwin Australia this weekend before sliding back into the Timor Sea and now Laurence is forecast to make a second landfall in Australia. Laurence is forecast to make ...
'Environmental Atlas of Europe' unveiled at COP15
Dec 14, 2009 |
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In support of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change taking place in Copenhagen, the European Environment Agency hosted the 'Bend the Trend' event on Sunday evening to provide a global climate ...
Giant iceberg spotted south of Australia
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 09, 2009 |
4.1 / 5 (15) |
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A monster iceberg nearly twice the size of Hong Kong island has been spotted drifting towards Australia in what scientists Wednesday called a once-in-a-century event.
Magnetic Power Revealed in Gamma-Ray Burst Jet
Dec 09, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A specialized camera on a telescope operated by U.K. astronomers from Liverpool has made the first measurement of magnetic fields in the afterglow of a gamma-ray burst (GRB). The result is ...
TRMM Satellite sees Cyclone Cleo coming to a close
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 11, 2009 |
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Rainfall in the once-known Cyclone Cleo has really diminished over the last 24 hours, and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite has confirmed it. Cleo is fading and the Joint Typhoon Warning ...
Breakthrough in monitoring tropical deforestation announced in Copenhagen
Dec 10, 2009 |
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Tropical forest destruction accounts for some 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. But quantifying these emissions has not been easy, particularly for tropical nations. New technology, developed by a team ...
