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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
Giant iceberg spotted south of Australia
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 09, 2009 |
4.1 / 5 (16) |
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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.
'Monster' iceberg shedding hundreds of offshoots
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 14, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (9) |
2
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.
Magnetic Power Revealed in Gamma-Ray Burst Jet
Dec 09, 2009 |
4.1 / 5 (9) |
8
(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 ...
Inside the dark heart of the Eagle
Dec 16, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (8) |
1
(PhysOrg.com) -- Herschel has peered inside an unseen stellar nursery and revealed surprising amounts of activity. Some 700 newly-forming stars are estimated to be crowded into filaments of dust stretching ...
Japan launches 5th spy satellite
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 28, 2009 |
3.6 / 5 (9) |
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(AP) -- Japan launched its fifth spy satellite into orbit Saturday in a bid to boost its ability to independently gather intelligence, the government said.
China to launch second lunar probe: state media
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 27, 2009 |
5 / 5 (6) |
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China will launch its second moon orbiter next October, state media reported Friday, as it powers ahead with a space programme that has sparked concerns abroad.
NASA's WISE infrared satellite to reveal new galaxies, stars, asteroids
Dec 04, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (6) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Data from the satellite, says principal investigator and UCLA professor Edward Wright, will help scientists answer fundamental questions about the history of our solar system, the Milky Way ...
WISE satellite blasts off on space-map mission
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Dec 14, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (6) |
4
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.
NASA Calculates a Carbon Budget for California
Dec 16, 2009 |
2.8 / 5 (9) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- While world organizations struggle to find a benchmark and tracking standards for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, NASA has been supporting California’s new carbon emissions inventory report, using its satellite ...
Breakthrough in monitoring tropical deforestation announced in Copenhagen
Dec 10, 2009 |
3.8 / 5 (5) |
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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 ...
Hubble's Festive View of a Grand Star-Forming Region (w/ Video)
Dec 15, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (4) |
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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 ...
Iran to unveil new home-built satellite: report
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
15 hours ago |
3 / 5 (6) |
2
Iran will unveil a new home-built satellite in February, a newspaper reported Thursday, amid Western concerns that Tehran is using its nuclear and space industries to develop atomic and ballistic weapons.
Icebergs head from Antarctica for New Zealand
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Nov 24, 2009 |
3 / 5 (5) |
1
(AP) -- Ships in the south Pacific Ocean have been alerted that hundreds of icebergs believed to have split off Antarctic ice shelves are drifting north toward New Zealand, officials said Tuesday.
NASA's WISE Set to Blast Off and Map the Skies
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Dec 09, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (3) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The countdown clock is ticking, with just days to go before the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, rockets into space on a mission to map the entire sky in infrared light.
NASA's Aqua satellite sees Nida explode into a category 5 Super typhoon
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Nov 25, 2009 |
4 / 5 (3) |
0
Typhoon Nida is in a favorable environment that has enabled it to intensify faster and stronger than previously forecast, and has now exploded into a Super typhoon. NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Nida and ...
