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
NASA's WISE infrared satellite to reveal new galaxies, stars, asteroids
Dec 04, 2009 |
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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 ...
GOES-14 (O) moving into on-orbit storage around the Earth
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 30, 2009 |
5 / 5 (2) |
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The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite named GOES-14, is being placed in on-orbit storage this month to await its call to duty.
Japan launches 5th spy satellite
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 28, 2009 |
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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 |
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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.
Sezmi offers a new kind of TV service
Nov 17, 2009 |
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Sezmi, a Silicon Valley startup that's pioneering a new type of TV service, is opening up a public test of its system Monday in California.
Investigating muscle repair, scientists follow their noses
Nov 16, 2009 |
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When muscle cells need repair, they use odor-detecting tools found in the nose to start the process, researchers have discovered.
El Nino Picking Up Steam
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Nov 13, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The latest image from the U.S./French Jason-2 satellite finds a strong wave of warm water heading toward the Americas, fueling El Nino.
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Greenland ice cap melting faster than ever
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Nov 12, 2009 |
3.6 / 5 (32) |
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Satellite observations and a state-of-the art regional atmospheric model have independently confirmed that the Greenland ice sheet is loosing mass at an accelerating rate, reports a new study in Science.
The Stars My Destination
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 10, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (23) |
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The Voyager spacecraft are now in the outermost layer of the heliosphere, traveling toward interstellar space - the first man-made spacecraft to travel such a vast distance from Earth.
Comcast: No plans to sell fourth-place NBC network
12 hours ago |
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(AP) -- Comcast executives say they have no plans to sell NBC Universal's broadcast TV business when they take control of the company.
System 97W's 'castle wall' breached, and opened up to dissipation
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 04, 2009 |
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The "walls" of System 97W have been breached, and residents in the Western Pacific Ocean no longer have a tropical cyclone to worry about today. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center cancelled their "formation ...
WISE Launch Scheduled for Dec. 11
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Dec 04, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Launch of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is scheduled for Dec. 11.
New method of measuring ocean CO2 uptake could lead to climate change 'early warning system'
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 03, 2009 |
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An international team of scientists led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) has developed a new method of measuring the absorption of CO2 by the oceans and mapped for the first time CO2 uptake for the entire North Atlantic.
NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites see Nida fading, and 97W getting organized
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 03, 2009 |
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NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites flew over Tropical Depression Nida and System 97W in the Western Pacific Ocean and noticed that one is fading while the other is powering up.
Nida getting knocked by winds, and 97W piquing interest
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 02, 2009 |
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Nida is now a tropical storm, and is being knocked around by wind shear in the Western Pacific. Satellite imagery has confirmed Nida's center of circulation is exposed and the storm is losing its circular ...
