A full size model of the Earth observation satellite ERS 2

In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavor. European Remote sensing Satellite ( ERS) was the European Space Agency 's first Earth-observing satellite. Spaceflight is the use of Space technology to fly a Spacecraft into and through Outer space. In Physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon. A natural satellite or moon is a Celestial body that Orbits a Planet or smaller body which is called the primary.

History

Early conceptions

The first recorded fictional depiction of a satellite being launched into orbit is a short story by Edward Everett Hale, The Brick Moon. The short story is a literary genre of Fictional Prose Narrative that tends to be more concise and to the point than longer works of fiction such Edward Everett Hale ( April 3, 1822 – June 10, 1909) was an American author and Unitarian clergyman " The Brick Moon " is a Short story by Edward Everett Hale, published serially in The Atlantic Monthly starting in 1869 The story was serialized in The Atlantic Monthly, starting in 1869. The Atlantic (formerly known as The Atlantic Monthly) is an American Magazine founded in Boston in 1857 ^[1][2] The idea surfaces again in Jules Verne's The Begum's Millions (1879). Jules Gabriel Verne ( February 8 1828 &ndash March 24 1905) was a French Author who pioneered the science-fiction The Begum's Fortune (Les Cinq cents millions de la Bégum also published as The Begum's Millions, is an 1879 novel by Jules Verne

In 1903 Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (1857–1935) published Исследование мировых пространств реактивными приборами (The Exploration of Cosmic Space by Means of Reaction Devices), which is the first academic treatise on the use of rocketry to launch spacecraft. A spacecraft is a Vehicle or machine designed for Spaceflight. He calculated the orbital speed required for a minimal orbit around the Earth at 8 km/s, and that a multi-stage rocket fueled by liquid propellants could be used to achieve this. The orbital speed of a body generally a Planet, a Natural satellite, an artificial satellite, or a Multiple star, is the speed at which it In Physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star A propellant is a material that is used to move ("propel" an object He proposed the use of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, though other combinations can be used. Liquid hydrogen (LH2 or LH2 is the Liquid state of the element Hydrogen.

In 1928 Herman Potočnik (1892–1929) published his sole book, Das Problem der Befahrung des Weltraums - der Raketen-Motor (The Problem of Space Travel — The Rocket Motor), a plan for a breakthrough into space and a permanent human presence there. Herman Potočnik ( Pseudonym Hermann Noordung) ( December 22, 1892 - August 27, 1929) was a Slovene rocket He conceived of a space station in detail and calculated its geostationary orbit. A geostationary orbit (GEO is a Geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth 's Equator (0° Latitude) with a period equal to the Earth's He described the use of orbiting spacecraft for detailed peaceful and military observation of the ground and described how the special conditions of space could be useful for scientific experiments. The book described geostationary satellites (first put forward by Tsiolkovsky) and discussed communication between them and the ground using radio, but fell short of the idea of using satellites for mass broadcasting and as telecommunications relays.

In a 1945 Wireless World article the English science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008) described in detail the possible use of communications satellites for mass communications. Wireless World was the pre-eminent British Magazine for Radio and Electronics enthusiasts Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE (16 December 1917–19 March 2008 was a British Science fiction Author, Inventor, and A communications satellite (sometimes abbreviated to comsat) is an artificial Satellite stationed in space for the purposes of Telecommunications. ^[3] Clarke examined the logistics of satellite launch, possible orbits and other aspects of the creation of a network of world-circling satellites, pointing to the benefits of high-speed global communications. In Physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star He also suggested that three geostationary satellites would provide coverage over the entire planet. A geostationary orbit (GEO is a Geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth 's Equator (0° Latitude) with a period equal to the Earth's

History of artificial satellites

Main article: Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes

See also: Space Race

The first artificial satellite was Sputnik 1, launched by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957, and that started the whole Soviet Sputnik program, with Sergei Korolev as chief designer. This Timeline of artificial Satellites and Space probes includes unmanned spacecraft including technology demonstrators observatories lunar probes and interplanetary The Space Race was a competition of space exploration between the Soviet Union and the United States, which lasted roughly from 1957 to 1975 Sputnik 1 ( "Спутник-1", "Satellite-1" ПС-1 ( PS-1, i The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Events 610 - Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. Sergey Pavlovich Korolyov (often Transliterated as Sergei Korolev) (Серге́й Па́влович Королёв Сергій Павлович Корольов This triggered the Space Race between the Soviet Union and the United States. The Space Race was a competition of space exploration between the Soviet Union and the United States, which lasted roughly from 1957 to 1975 The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Sputnik 1 helped to identify the density of high atmospheric layers through measurement of its orbital change and provided data on radio-signal distribution in the ionosphere. Temperature and layers The temperature of the Earth's atmosphere varies with altitude the mathematical relationship between temperature and altitude varies among five Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. The ionosphere is the uppermost part of the atmosphere, distinguished because it is Ionized by solar radiation Because the satellite's body was filled with pressurized nitrogen, Sputnik 1 also provided the first opportunity for meteoroid detection, as a loss of internal pressure due to meteoroid penetration of the outer surface would have been evident in the temperature data sent back to Earth. Nitrogen (ˈnaɪtɹəʤɪn is a Chemical element that has the symbol N and Atomic number 7 and Atomic weight 14 The unanticipated announcement of Sputnik 1's success precipitated the Sputnik crisis in the United States and ignited the so-called Space Race within the Cold War. The Sputnik crisis was a turning point of the Cold War that began on October 4, 1957 when the Soviet Union launched the Sputnik 1 The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Space Race was a competition of space exploration between the Soviet Union and the United States, which lasted roughly from 1957 to 1975 Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the

Sputnik 2 was launched on November 3, 1957 and carried the first living passenger into orbit, a dog named Laika. Mission profile Sputnik 2 was launched into a 212 x 1660 km (132 x 1031 mile orbit with a period of 103 Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) The dog ( Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated Subspecies of the gray wolf, a Mammal of the Canidae family of the order Laika (from the Лайка, a breed of dog, literally meaning "Barker" or "Howler" was a Soviet space dog (c ^[4]

In May, 1946, Project RAND had released the Preliminary Design of an Experimental World-Circling Spaceship, which stated, "A satellite vehicle with appropriate instrumentation can be expected to be one of the most potent scientific tools of the Twentieth Century. The RAND Corporation ( R esearch AN d D evelopment is a Nonprofit global policy Think tank first formed to offer research and analysis The Preliminary Design of an Experimental World-Circling Spaceship was a 1946 proposal by Project RAND, for a United States Satellite program ^[5] The United States had been considering launching orbital satellites since 1945 under the Bureau of Aeronautics of the United States Navy. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In Physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star The Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer was the US Navy 's material-support organization for Naval Aviation from 1921 to 1959 The United States Air Force's Project RAND eventually released the above report, but did not believe that the satellite was a potential military weapon; rather, they considered it to be a tool for science, politics, and propaganda. In 1954, the Secretary of Defense stated, "I know of no American satellite program. "

On July 29, 1955, the White House announced that the U. Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence S. intended to launch satellites by the spring of 1958. This became known as Project Vanguard. Project Vanguard was a program managed by the United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL which intended to launch the first Artificial satellite into On July 31, the Soviets announced that they intended to launch a satellite by the fall of 1957. Events 30 BC - Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian 's forces but most of his army subsequently

Following pressure by the American Rocket Society, the National Science Foundation, and the International Geophysical Year, military interest picked up and in early 1955 the Air Force and Navy were working on Project Orbiter, which involved using a Jupiter C rocket to launch a satellite. The American Rocket Society (ARS began its existence on April 4, 1930, under the name of the American Interplanetary Society. The National Science Foundation (NSF is a United States Government agency that supports fundamental Research and Education in all the non-medical The International Geophysical Year or IGY was an international scientific effort that lasted from July 1, 1957, to December 31, 1958 Project Orbiter was a proposed United States Spacecraft, an early competitor to Project Vanguard. The Jupiter-C was a type of Sounding rocket used for three Sub-orbital spaceflights conducted in 1956 and 1957 The project succeeded, and Explorer 1 became the United States' first satellite on January 31, 1958. Explorer 1 (officially titled at NASA as satellite 1958 Alpha) was the first Earth Satellite of the United States, launched on February 1 Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[6]

The largest artificial satellite currently orbiting the Earth is the International Space Station.

Space Surveillance Network

The United States Space Surveillance Network (SSN) has been tracking space objects since 1957 when the Soviets opened the space age with the launch of Sputnik I. Space Surveillance is a critical part of United States Strategic Command 's (USSTRATCOM mission and involves detecting tracking cataloging and identifying man-made Since then, the SSN has tracked more than 26,000 space objects orbiting Earth. The SSN currently tracks more than 8,000 man-made orbiting objects. The rest have re-entered Earth's turbulent atmosphere and disintegrated, or survived re-entry and impacted the Earth. The space objects now orbiting Earth range from satellites weighing several tons to pieces of spent rocket bodies weighing only 10 pounds. About seven percent of the space objects are operational satellites (i. e. ~560 satellites), the rest are space debris. Space debris or orbital debris, also called space junk and space waste are the objects in Orbit around Earth created by humans that no ^[7] USSTRATCOM is primarily interested in the active satellites, but also tracks space debris which upon reentry might otherwise be mistaken for incoming missiles. United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM is one of the ten Unified Combatant Commands of the U The SSN tracks space objects that are 10 centimeters in diameter (baseball size) or larger.

Non-Military Satellite Services

There are three basic categories of non-military satellite services:^[8]

Fixed Satellite Service

Fixed satellite services handle hundreds of billions of voice, data, and video transmission tasks across all countries and continents between certain points on the earth’s surface

Mobile Satellite Systems

Mobile satellite systems help connect remote regions, vehicles, ships and aircraft to other parts of the world and/or other mobile or stationary communications units, in addition to serving as navigation systems

Scientific Research Satellite (commercial and noncommercial)

Scientific research satellites provide us with meteorological information, land survey data (e. g. , remote sensing), and other different scientific research applications such as earth science, marine science, and atmospheric research.

Types

MILSTAR: A communication satellite

• Astronomical satellites are satellites used for observation of distant planets, galaxies, and other outer space objects. Milstar (originally an acronym for Military Strategic and Tactical Relay ', but now a name with no inherent meaning is a United States government Satellite communications A space observatory is any instrument in Outer space which is used for observation of distant planets galaxies and other outer space objects
• Biosatellites are satellites designed to carry living organisms, generally for scientific experimentation. A biosatellite is an man-made Satellite designed to carry life in space.
• Communications satellites are satellites stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications. A communications satellite (sometimes abbreviated to comsat) is an artificial Satellite stationed in space for the purposes of Telecommunications. Modern communications satellites typically use geosynchronous orbits, Molniya orbits or Low Earth orbits. A geosynchronous orbit is an Orbit around the Earth with an Orbital period matching the Earth's sidereal rotation period A Molniya orbit is a type of Highly elliptical orbit with an Inclination of 63 A Low Earth Orbit (LEO is generally defined as an Orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2000 km
• Miniaturized satellites are satellites of unusually low weights and small sizes. Miniaturized satellites or small satellites are Artificial satellites of unusually low weights and small sizes usually under 500 kg (1100 lb ^[9] New classifications are used to categorize these satellites: minisatellite (500–200 kg), microsatellite (below 200 kg), nanosatellite (below 10 kg).
• Navigational satellites are satellites which use radio time signals transmitted to enable mobile receivers on the ground to determine their exact location. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS is the standard generic term for satellite navigation systems that provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning with global coverage Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. The relatively clear line of sight between the satellites and receivers on the ground, combined with ever-improving electronics, allows satellite navigation systems to measure location to accuracies on the order of a few meters in real time.
• Reconnaissance satellites are Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications. A spy satellite (officially referred to as a reconnaissance satellite) is an Earth observation satellite or Communications satellite deployed for Earth observation satellites are Satellites specifically designed to observe Earth from Orbit, similar to Reconnaissance satellites but intended A communications satellite (sometimes abbreviated to comsat) is an artificial Satellite stationed in space for the purposes of Telecommunications. A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking Little is known about the full power of these satellites, as governments who operate them usually keep information pertaining to their reconnaissance satellites classified.
• Earth observation satellites are satellites intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, map making etc. Earth observation satellites are Satellites specifically designed to observe Earth from Orbit, similar to Reconnaissance satellites but intended See also Natural environment The '''biophysical''' environment is the symbiosis between the physical environment and the Biological Meteorology (from Greek grc μετέωρος metéōros, "high in the sky" and grc -λογία -logia) is the Interdisciplinary (See especially Earth Observing System. The Earth Observing System ( EOS) is a program of NASA comprising a series of Artificial satellite missions and scientific instruments in Earth )
• Space stations are man-made structures that are designed for human beings to live on in outer space. A space station is an artificial structure designed for Humans to live in Outer space. Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus Outer space, often simply called space, comprises the relatively empty regions of the Universe outside the escape velocities of Celestial bodies. A space station is distinguished from other manned spacecraft by its lack of major propulsion or landing facilities — instead, other vehicles are used as transport to and from the station. A spacecraft is a Vehicle or machine designed for Spaceflight. Spacecraft propulsion is any method used to change the velocity of Spacecraft and artificial Satellites There are many different methods Landing is the last part of a Flight, where a flying Animal, Aircraft, or Spacecraft returns to the ground Space stations are designed for medium-term living in orbit, for periods of weeks, months, or even years. In Physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star A week (also called sennight or sevennight) is a unit of Time longer than a Day and shorter than a Month. The month is a unit of Time, used with Calendars which is approximately as long as some natural period related to the motion of the Moon; A year (from Old English gēr) is the time between two recurrences of an event related to the Orbit of the Earth around the Sun
• Tether satellites are satellites which are connected to another satellite by a thin cable called a tether. A tether satellite is a Satellite connected to another by a thin cable called a Tether. A tether is a cord that anchors something movable to a stationary point
• Weather satellites are primarily used to monitor Earth's weather and climate. A weather satellite is a type of Satellite that is primarily used to monitor the Weather and Climate of the Earth. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 The weather is a set of all the phenomena occurring in a given Atmosphere at a given Time. Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of ^[10]

Orbit types

Main article: List of orbits

Various earth orbits to scale; cyan represents low earth orbit, yellow represents medium earth orbit, the black dashed line represents geosynchronous orbit, the green dash-dot line the orbit of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, and the red dotted line the orbit of the International Space Station (ISS). The following is a list of types of orbits Centric classifications Galactocentric orbit: An orbit about the center of a Galaxy Basic concept of GPS operation A GPS receiver calculates its position by carefully timing the signals sent by the constellation of GPS Satellites high above the Earth

The first satellite, Sputnik 1, was put into orbit around Earth and was therefore in geocentric orbit. Sputnik 1 ( "Спутник-1", "Satellite-1" ПС-1 ( PS-1, i EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 By far this is the most common type of orbit with approximately 2456 artificial satellites orbiting the Earth. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 Geocentric orbits may be further classified by their altitude, inclination and eccentricity. Altitude is the Elevation of a point or object from a known level or datum (plural data Inclination in general is the Angle between a Reference plane and another plane or axis of direction In Astrodynamics, under standard assumptions, any Orbit must be of Conic section shape

The commonly used altitude classifications are Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) and High Earth Orbit (HEO). A Low Earth Orbit (LEO is generally defined as an Orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2000 km Medium Earth Orbit (MEO, sometimes called Intermediate Circular Orbit (ICO is the region of space around the Earth above low Earth orbit ( and below Geostationary orbit A High Earth Orbit is a geocentric orbit whose apogee lies above that of a geosynchronous orbit (35786 km Low Earth orbit is any orbit below 2000 km, and Medium Earth Orbit is any orbit higher than that but still below the altitude for geosynchronous orbit at 35786 km. A geosynchronous orbit is an Orbit around the Earth with an Orbital period matching the Earth's sidereal rotation period High Earth Orbit is any orbit higher than the altitude for geosynchronous orbit.

Centric classifications

• Galactocentric orbit: An orbit about the center of a galaxy. The Galactic Center is the rotational center of the Milky Way Galaxy. A galaxy is a massive gravitationally bound system consisting of Stars an Interstellar medium of gas and dust, and Dark matter Earth's sun follows this type of orbit about the galactic center of the Milky Way. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. The Galactic Center is the rotational center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Milky Way (a translation of the Latin Via Lactea, in turn derived from the Greek Γαλαξίας (Galaxias sometimes referred to simply
• Heliocentric orbit: An orbit around the Sun. A heliocentric orbit is an Orbit around the Sun. In our Solar System, all Planets Comets and Asteroids are in such orbits In Physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. In our Solar System, all planets, comets, and asteroids are in such orbits, as are many artificial satellites and pieces of space debris. The Solar System consists of the Sun and those celestial objects bound to it by Gravity. A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is A comet is a small Solar System body that orbits the Sun and when close enough to the Sun exhibits a visible coma (atmosphere or a tail — Asteroids, sometimes called Minor planets or planetoids', are bodies—primarily of the inner Solar System —that are smaller than planets but Space debris or orbital debris, also called space junk and space waste are the objects in Orbit around Earth created by humans that no Moons by contrast are not in a heliocentric orbit but rather orbit their parent planet. A natural satellite or moon is a Celestial body that Orbits a Planet or smaller body which is called the primary. A heliocentric orbit is an Orbit around the Sun. In our Solar System, all Planets Comets and Asteroids are in such orbits
• Geocentric orbit: An orbit around the planet Earth, such as the Moon or artificial satellites. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 This article is about artificial satellites For natural satellites also known as moons see Natural satellite. Currently there are approximately 2465 artificial satellites orbiting the Earth. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001
• Areocentric orbit: An orbit around the planet Mars, such as moons or artificial satellites. An areocentric orbit is an Orbit around the planet Mars. The Moon, by similarity is in a geocentric orbit around Earth Mars has two tiny moons, Phobos and Deimos, which are thought to be captured Asteroids If viewed from the surface This article is about artificial satellites For natural satellites also known as moons see Natural satellite.

Altitude classifications

• Low Earth Orbit (LEO): Geocentric orbits ranging in altitude from 0–2000 km (0–1240 miles)
• Medium Earth Orbit (MEO): Geocentric orbits ranging in altitude from 2000 km (1240 miles) to just below geosynchronous orbit at 35786 km (22240 miles). A Low Earth Orbit (LEO is generally defined as an Orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2000 km The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States Medium Earth Orbit (MEO, sometimes called Intermediate Circular Orbit (ICO is the region of space around the Earth above low Earth orbit ( and below Geostationary orbit The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States A geosynchronous orbit is an Orbit around the Earth with an Orbital period matching the Earth's sidereal rotation period The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States Also known as an intermediate circular orbit. Medium Earth Orbit (MEO, sometimes called Intermediate Circular Orbit (ICO is the region of space around the Earth above low Earth orbit ( and below Geostationary orbit
• High Earth Orbit (HEO): Geocentric orbits above the altitude of geosynchronous orbit 35786 km (22240 miles). A High Earth Orbit is a geocentric orbit whose apogee lies above that of a geosynchronous orbit (35786 km A geosynchronous orbit is an Orbit around the Earth with an Orbital period matching the Earth's sidereal rotation period The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States

Orbital Altitudes of several significant satellites of earth.

Inclination classifications

• Inclined orbit: An orbit whose inclination in reference to the equatorial plane is not zero degrees. A satellite is said to occupy an inclined orbit around the Earth if the orbit exhibits an angle other than zero degrees with the Equatorial plane. Inclination in general is the Angle between a Reference plane and another plane or axis of direction In Astronomy and Navigation, the celestial sphere is an imaginary rotating Sphere of "gigantic Radius "
  • Polar orbit: An orbit that passes above or nearly above both poles of the planet on each revolution. A polar orbit is an Orbit in which a Satellite passes above or nearly above both poles of the body (usually a planet such as the Earth, but possibly In Physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star Therefore it has an inclination of (or very close to) 90 degrees. Inclination in general is the Angle between a Reference plane and another plane or axis of direction This article describes the unit of angle For other meanings see Degree.
  • Polar sun synchronous orbit: A nearly polar orbit that passes the equator at the same local time on every pass. This article is about a class of orbits about the Earth For a class of orbits around the sun see Heliosynchronous orbit. A polar orbit is an Orbit in which a Satellite passes above or nearly above both poles of the body (usually a planet such as the Earth, but possibly The equator (sometimes referred to colloquially as "the Line") is the intersection of the Earth 's surface with the plane perpendicular to the Useful for image taking satellites because shadows will be nearly the same on every pass. An image (from Latin imago) or picture is an artifact usually two-dimensional that has a similar appearance to some subject &mdashusually A shadow is an area where direct light from a light source cannot reach due to obstruction by an object

Eccentricity classifications

• Circular orbit: An orbit that has an eccentricity of 0 and whose path traces a circle. For other meanings of the term "orbit" see Orbit (disambiguation In Astrodynamics or Celestial mechanics a circular In Physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star In Astrodynamics, under standard assumptions, any Orbit must be of Conic section shape Circles are simple Shapes of Euclidean geometry consisting of those points in a plane which are at a constant Distance, called the
  • Hohmann transfer orbit: An orbital maneuver that moves a spacecraft from one circular orbit to another using two engine impulses. In Astronautics and Aerospace engineering, the Hohmann transfer orbit is an Orbital maneuver using two engine impulses which under standard assumptions A spacecraft is a Vehicle or machine designed for Spaceflight. For other meanings of the term "orbit" see Orbit (disambiguation In Astrodynamics or Celestial mechanics a circular In Classical mechanics, an impulse is defined as the Integral of a Force with respect to Time: \mathbf{I} = \int \mathbf{F}\ This maneuver was named after Walter Hohmann. Walter Hohmann ( March 18 1880 - March 11 1945) was a German engineer who made an important contribution to the understanding of
• Elliptic orbit: An orbit with an eccentricity greater than 0 and less than 1 whose orbit traces the path of an ellipse. In Astrodynamics or Celestial mechanics an elliptic orbit is a Kepler orbit with the eccentricity greater than 0 and less than 1 In Physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star In Astrodynamics, under standard assumptions, any Orbit must be of Conic section shape In Mathematics, an ellipse (from the Greek ἔλλειψις literally absence) is a Conic section, the locus of points in a
  • Geosynchronous transfer orbit: An elliptic orbit where the perigee is at the altitude of a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and the apogee at the altitude of a geosynchronous orbit. A Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit or Geostationary Transfer Orbit ( GTO) is a Hohmann transfer orbit around the Earth between a Low Earth orbit In Astrodynamics or Celestial mechanics an elliptic orbit is a Kepler orbit with the eccentricity greater than 0 and less than 1 Altitude is the Elevation of a point or object from a known level or datum (plural data A Low Earth Orbit (LEO is generally defined as an Orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2000 km In Celestial mechanics, an apsis, plural apsides (ˈæpsɨdɪːz is the point of greatest or least distance of the Elliptical orbit of an object from Altitude is the Elevation of a point or object from a known level or datum (plural data A geosynchronous orbit is an Orbit around the Earth with an Orbital period matching the Earth's sidereal rotation period
  • Geostationary transfer orbit: An elliptic orbit where the perigee is at the altitude of a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and the apogee at the altitude of a geostationary orbit. A Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit or Geostationary Transfer Orbit ( GTO) is a Hohmann transfer orbit around the Earth between a Low Earth orbit In Astrodynamics or Celestial mechanics an elliptic orbit is a Kepler orbit with the eccentricity greater than 0 and less than 1 Altitude is the Elevation of a point or object from a known level or datum (plural data A Low Earth Orbit (LEO is generally defined as an Orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2000 km In Celestial mechanics, an apsis, plural apsides (ˈæpsɨdɪːz is the point of greatest or least distance of the Elliptical orbit of an object from Altitude is the Elevation of a point or object from a known level or datum (plural data A geostationary orbit (GEO is a Geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth 's Equator (0° Latitude) with a period equal to the Earth's
  • Molniya orbit: A highly elliptic orbit with inclination of 63. A Molniya orbit is a type of Highly elliptical orbit with an Inclination of 63 In Astrodynamics or Celestial mechanics an elliptic orbit is a Kepler orbit with the eccentricity greater than 0 and less than 1 Inclination in general is the Angle between a Reference plane and another plane or axis of direction 4° and orbital period of half of a sidereal day (roughly 12 hours). The orbital period is the time taken for a given object to make one complete Orbit about another object Sidereal time is a measure of the position of the Earth in its rotation around its axis or time measured by the apparent Diurnal motion of the Vernal equinox Such a satellite spends most of its time over a designated area of the planet. A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is
  • Tundra orbit: A highly elliptic orbit with inclination of 63. Tundra orbit is a type of highly elliptical Geosynchronous orbit with a high Inclination (usually near 63 In Astrodynamics or Celestial mechanics an elliptic orbit is a Kepler orbit with the eccentricity greater than 0 and less than 1 Inclination in general is the Angle between a Reference plane and another plane or axis of direction 4° and orbital period of one sidereal day (roughly 24 hours). The orbital period is the time taken for a given object to make one complete Orbit about another object Sidereal time is a measure of the position of the Earth in its rotation around its axis or time measured by the apparent Diurnal motion of the Vernal equinox Such a satellite spends most of its time over a designated area of the planet. A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is
• Hyperbolic orbit: An orbit with the eccentricity greater than 1. In Astrodynamics or Celestial mechanics a hyperbolic trajectory is a Kepler orbit with the eccentricity greater than 1 In Physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star Such an orbit also has a velocity in excess of the escape velocity and as such, will escape the gravitational pull of the planet and continue to travel infinitely. In Physics, velocity is defined as the rate of change of Position. In Physics, escape velocity is the speed where the Kinetic energy of an object is equal to the magnitude of its Gravitational potential energy A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is Infinity (symbolically represented with ∞) comes from the Latin infinitas or "unboundedness
• Parabolic orbit: An orbit with the eccentricity equal to 1. In Astrodynamics or Celestial mechanics a Parabolic trajectory is a Kepler orbit with the eccentricity equal to 1 In Physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star Such an orbit also has a velocity equal to the escape velocity and therefore will escape the gravitational pull of the planet and travel until its velocity relative to the planet is 0. In Physics, velocity is defined as the rate of change of Position. In Physics, escape velocity is the speed where the Kinetic energy of an object is equal to the magnitude of its Gravitational potential energy A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is In Physics, velocity is defined as the rate of change of Position. Kinematics ( Greek κινειν, kinein, to move is a branch of Classical mechanics which describes the motion of objects without A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is If the speed of such an orbit is increased it will become a hyperbolic orbit. In Astrodynamics or Celestial mechanics a hyperbolic trajectory is a Kepler orbit with the eccentricity greater than 1
  • Escape orbit (EO): A high-speed parabolic orbit where the object has escape velocity and is moving away from the planet. An escape orbit (also known as C 3 = 0 orbit is a high-energy Parabolic orbit around the central body In Astrodynamics or Celestial mechanics a Parabolic trajectory is a Kepler orbit with the eccentricity equal to 1 In Physics, escape velocity is the speed where the Kinetic energy of an object is equal to the magnitude of its Gravitational potential energy A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is
  • Capture orbit: A high-speed parabolic orbit where the object has escape velocity and is moving toward the planet. A capture orbit is a reverse Escape orbit. It is a Parabolic orbit with as special case a straight line in the direction of the center of the central body In Astrodynamics or Celestial mechanics a Parabolic trajectory is a Kepler orbit with the eccentricity equal to 1 In Physics, escape velocity is the speed where the Kinetic energy of an object is equal to the magnitude of its Gravitational potential energy A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is

Synchronous classifications

• Synchronous orbit: An orbit where the satellite has an orbital period equal to the average rotational period (earth's is: 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4,091 seconds) of the body being orbited and in the same direction of rotation as that body. A synchronous orbit is an Orbit in which an orbiting body (usually a Satellite) has a period equal to the average rotational period of the body being orbited (usually The orbital period is the time taken for a given object to make one complete Orbit about another object The rotation period of an astronomical object is the time it takes to complete one revolution around its Axis of rotation relative to the background stars The hour (symbol h) is a unit of Time. It is not an SI unit but is accepted for use with the SI A minute is a Unit of measurement of Time or of Angle. The minute is a unit of Time equal to 1/60th of an Hour or 60 The second ( SI symbol s) sometimes abbreviated sec, is the name of a unit of Time, and is the International System of Units To a ground observer such a satellite would trace an analemma (figure 8) in the sky. Analemma was also a book by Ptolemy. In Astronomy, an analemma ( IPA: /ˌænəˈlɛmə/ Latin for the pedestal of a
• Semi-synchronous orbit (SSO): An orbit with an altitude of approximately 20200 km (12544. Semi-Synchronous Orbit: An orbit with approximately a 12-hour period In Physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star Altitude is the Elevation of a point or object from a known level or datum (plural data 2 miles) and an orbital period of approximately 12 hours
• Geosynchronous orbit (GEO): Orbits with an altitude of approximately 35786 km (22240 miles). The orbital period is the time taken for a given object to make one complete Orbit about another object A geosynchronous orbit is an Orbit around the Earth with an Orbital period matching the Earth's sidereal rotation period Such a satellite would trace an analemma (figure 8) in the sky. Analemma was also a book by Ptolemy. In Astronomy, an analemma ( IPA: /ˌænəˈlɛmə/ Latin for the pedestal of a
  • Geostationary orbit (GSO): A geosynchronous orbit with an inclination of zero. A geostationary orbit (GEO is a Geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth 's Equator (0° Latitude) with a period equal to the Earth's A geosynchronous orbit is an Orbit around the Earth with an Orbital period matching the Earth's sidereal rotation period Inclination in general is the Angle between a Reference plane and another plane or axis of direction To an observer on the ground this satellite would appear as a fixed point in the sky. ^[11]
    • Clarke orbit: Another name for a geostationary orbit. A geostationary orbit (GEO is a Geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth 's Equator (0° Latitude) with a period equal to the Earth's A geostationary orbit (GEO is a Geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth 's Equator (0° Latitude) with a period equal to the Earth's Named after scientist and writer Arthur C. Clarke. Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE (16 December 1917–19 March 2008 was a British Science fiction Author, Inventor, and
  • Supersynchronous orbit: A disposal / storage orbit above GSO/GEO. A graveyard orbit, also called a supersynchronous orbit, junk orbit or disposal orbit, is an Orbit significantly above Synchronous Satellites will drift west. Also a synonym for Disposal orbit. This article deals with the general meaning of the term "synonym"
  • Subsynchronous orbit: A drift orbit close to but below GSO/GEO. A subsynchronous orbit refers to the Orbit of a Satellite that is nearer the planet than it would be if it were in Synchronous orbit, i Satellites will drift east.
  • Graveyard orbit: An orbit a few hundred kilometers above geosynchronous that satellites are moved into at the end of their operation. A graveyard orbit, also called a supersynchronous orbit, junk orbit or disposal orbit, is an Orbit significantly above Synchronous A geosynchronous orbit is an Orbit around the Earth with an Orbital period matching the Earth's sidereal rotation period
    • Disposal orbit: A synonym for graveyard orbit. A graveyard orbit, also called a supersynchronous orbit, junk orbit or disposal orbit, is an Orbit significantly above Synchronous This article deals with the general meaning of the term "synonym" A graveyard orbit, also called a supersynchronous orbit, junk orbit or disposal orbit, is an Orbit significantly above Synchronous
    • Junk orbit: A synonym for graveyard orbit. A graveyard orbit, also called a supersynchronous orbit, junk orbit or disposal orbit, is an Orbit significantly above Synchronous This article deals with the general meaning of the term "synonym" A graveyard orbit, also called a supersynchronous orbit, junk orbit or disposal orbit, is an Orbit significantly above Synchronous
• Areosynchronous orbit: A synchronous orbit around the planet Mars with an orbital period equal in length to Mars' sidereal day, 24,6229 hours. Areosynchronous orbits are class of Synchronous orbits for Artificial satellites around the planet Mars. A synchronous orbit is an Orbit in which an orbiting body (usually a Satellite) has a period equal to the average rotational period of the body being orbited (usually The orbital period is the time taken for a given object to make one complete Orbit about another object Sidereal time is a measure of the position of the Earth in its rotation around its axis or time measured by the apparent Diurnal motion of the Vernal equinox
• Areostationary orbit (ASO): A circular areosynchronous orbit on the equatorial plane and about 17000 km(10557 miles) above the surface. An areostationary orbit (abbreviated ASO) is a circular areo­synchronous orbit in the Martian equatorial plane about 17000 km Areosynchronous orbits are class of Synchronous orbits for Artificial satellites around the planet Mars. In Astronomy and Navigation, the celestial sphere is an imaginary rotating Sphere of "gigantic Radius " The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States To an observer on the ground this satellite would appear as a fixed point in the sky.
• Heliosynchronous orbit: An heliocentric orbit about the Sun where the satellite's orbital period matches the Sun's period of rotation. This article is about a class of orbits about the sun For a class of orbits around the earth see Sun-synchronous orbit. A heliocentric orbit is an Orbit around the Sun. In our Solar System, all Planets Comets and Asteroids are in such orbits The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. The orbital period is the time taken for a given object to make one complete Orbit about another object The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. A rotation is a movement of an object in a circular motion A two- Dimensional object rotates around a center (or point) of rotation These orbits occur at a radius of 24,360 Gm (0,1628 AU) around the Sun, a little less than half of the orbital radius of Mercury. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System.

Special classifications

• Sun-synchronous orbit: An orbit which combines altitude and inclination in such a way that the satellite passes over any given point of the planets's surface at the same local solar time. This article is about a class of orbits about the Earth For a class of orbits around the sun see Heliosynchronous orbit. Altitude is the Elevation of a point or object from a known level or datum (plural data Inclination in general is the Angle between a Reference plane and another plane or axis of direction A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is Solar times are measures of the apparent position of the Sun on the Celestial sphere. Such an orbit can place a satellite in constant sunlight and is useful for imaging, spy, and weather satellites. A spy satellite (officially referred to as a reconnaissance satellite) is an Earth observation satellite or Communications satellite deployed for A weather satellite is a type of Satellite that is primarily used to monitor the Weather and Climate of the Earth.
• Moon orbit: The orbital characteristics of earth's moon. The orbit of the Moon around the Earth is completed in approximately 27 The elements of an orbit are the parameters needed to specify that Orbit uniquely given a model of two point-masses obeying the Newtonian laws of motion and the EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 Average altitude of 384403 kilometres (238857 mi), elliptical-inclined orbit. Altitude is the Elevation of a point or object from a known level or datum (plural data In Astrodynamics or Celestial mechanics an elliptic orbit is a Kepler orbit with the eccentricity greater than 0 and less than 1 A satellite is said to occupy an inclined orbit around the Earth if the orbit exhibits an angle other than zero degrees with the Equatorial plane.

Pseudo-orbit classifications

• Horseshoe orbit: An orbit that appears to a ground observer to be orbiting a certain planet but is actually in co-orbit with the planet. A horseshoe Orbit appears when a viewer on an orbiting body (like Earth watches the movement of another orbiting body whose orbit is skinnier (more eccentric but has about In Physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is See asteroids 3753 (Cruithne) and 2002 AA₂₉. TemplateInfobox Planet. --> 3753 Cruithne (ˈkrɪnjə from Old Irish ˈkrɪθnɛ Modern TemplateInfobox Planet. -->Asteroid ( also written 2002 AA29) is a Near-Earth asteroid
• Exo-orbit: A maneuver where a spacecraft approaches the height of orbit but lacks the velocity to sustain it. An orbital spaceflight (or orbital flight is a Spaceflight in which a Spacecraft is placed on a trajectory where it could remain in space for at least A spacecraft is a Vehicle or machine designed for Spaceflight. In Physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star In Physics, velocity is defined as the rate of change of Position.
  • Suborbital spaceflight: A synonym for exo-orbit. A sub-orbital spaceflight (or sub-orbital flight is a Spaceflight in which the Spacecraft reaches space, but its Trajectory intersects This article deals with the general meaning of the term "synonym" An orbital spaceflight (or orbital flight is a Spaceflight in which a Spacecraft is placed on a trajectory where it could remain in space for at least
• Lunar transfer orbit (LTO)
• Prograde orbit: An orbit with an inclination of less than 90°. In Astronautics and Aerospace engineering, the Hohmann transfer orbit is an Orbital maneuver using two engine impulses which under standard assumptions Direct motion is the motion of a Planetary body in a direction similar to that of other bodies within its system and is sometimes called prograde motion. In Physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star Or rather, an orbit that is in the same direction as the rotation of the primary.
• Retrograde orbit: An orbit with an inclination of more than 90°. Direct motion is the motion of a Planetary body in a direction similar to that of other bodies within its system and is sometimes called prograde motion. In Physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star Inclination in general is the Angle between a Reference plane and another plane or axis of direction Or rather, an orbit counter to the direction of rotation of the planet. Apart from those in sun-synchronous orbit, few satellites are launched into retrograde orbit because the quantity of fuel required to launch them is much greater than for a prograde orbit. This article is about a class of orbits about the Earth For a class of orbits around the sun see Heliosynchronous orbit. Direct motion is the motion of a Planetary body in a direction similar to that of other bodies within its system and is sometimes called prograde motion. Direct motion is the motion of a Planetary body in a direction similar to that of other bodies within its system and is sometimes called prograde motion. This is because when the rocket starts out on the ground, it already has an eastward component of velocity equal to the rotational velocity of the planet at its launch latitude. In Physics, velocity is defined as the rate of change of Position. Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi ( Φ) gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body north or south of the
• Halo orbit and Lissajous orbit: Orbits "around" Lagrangian points. A halo orbit is a periodic three-dimensional Orbit near the L1 L2 or L3 Lagrange points in the three-body problem of In Orbital mechanics, a Lissajous orbit is a quasi-periodic orbital trajectory that an object can follow around a collinear Libration point ( Lagrangian point

Satellite Modules

The satellite’s functional versatility is imbedded within its technical components and its operations characteristics. Looking at the “anatomy” of a typical satellite, one discovers two modules. ^[8] Note that some novel architectural concepts such as Fractionated Spacecraft somewhat upset this taxonomy. A fractionated spacecraft is a Satellite architecture where the functional capabilities of a conventional monolithic spacecraft are distributed across multiple Modules

Spacecraft bus or service module

This first module consist of five subsystems:

• The Structural Subsystems

The structural subsystem provides the mechanical base structure, shields the satellite from extreme temperature changes and micro-meteorite damage, and controls the satellite’s spin functions.

• The Telemetry Subsystems

The telemetry subsystem monitors the on-board equipment operations, transmits equipment operation data to the earth control station, and receives the earth control station’s commands to perform equipment operation adjustments.

• The Power Subsystems

The power subsystem consists of solar panels and backup batteries that generate power when the satellite passes into the earth’s shadow.

• The Thermal Control Subsystems

The thermal control subsystem helps protect electronic equipment from extreme temperatures due to intense sunlight or the lack of sun exposure on different sides of the satellite’s body

• The Attitude and Orbit Controlled Control Subsystems

The attitude and orbit controlled subsystem consists of small rocket thrusters that keep the satellite in the correct orbital position and keep antennas positioning in the right directions.

Communication Payload

The second major module is the communication payload, which is made up of transponders. A transponders is capable of :

• Receiving uplinked radio signals from earth satellite transmission stations (antennas).
• Amplifying received radio signals
• Sorting the input signals and directing the output signals through input/output signal multiplexers to the proper downlink antennas for retransmission to earth satellite receiving stations (antennas).

Launch-capable countries

Main article: Timeline of first orbital launches by nationality

This list includes countries with an independent capability to place satellites in orbit, including production of the necessary launch vehicle. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a timeline of first orbital Note: many more countries have the capability to design and build satellites — which relatively speaking, does not require much economic, scientific and industrial capacity — but are unable to launch them, instead relying on foreign launch services. This list does not consider those numerous countries, but only lists those capable of launching satellites indigenously, and the date this capability was first demonstrated. Does not include consortium satellites or multi-national satellites.

First launch by country

Country	Year of first launch	First satellite
Soviet Union	1957	Sputnik 1
United States	1958	Explorer 1
France	1965	Astérix
Japan	1970	Osumi
China	1970	Dong Fang Hong I
United Kingdom	1971	Prospero X-3
India	1980	Rohini
Israel	1988	Ofeq 1

Both North Korea (1998) and Iraq (1989) have claimed orbital launches (satellite and warhead accordingly), but these claims are unconfirmed. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Sputnik 1 ( "Спутник-1", "Satellite-1" ПС-1 ( PS-1, i The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Explorer 1 (officially titled at NASA as satellite 1958 Alpha) was the first Earth Satellite of the United States, launched on February 1 This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Astérix, the first French satellite was launched on November 26, 1965 by a rocket of type Diamant A from Hammaguir in Algeria For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Ōsumi (or Ohsumi is the name of the first Japanese Satellite, named after the Ōsumi Province in the southern islands of Japan. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Dōng Fāng Hóng I (东方红一号東方紅一號 also known as China 1, was the People's The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Prospero X-3 Satellite (official designation 05580 / 71093A is the only satellite to be launched by a British Rocket. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Ofeq, also spelled Offek or Ofek (אופק lit Horizon is the designation of a series of Israeli Reconnaissance satellites All Ofeq North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia, For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics.

In addition to the above, countries such as South Africa, Spain, Italy, West Germany, Canada, Australia, Argentina, Egypt and private companies such as OTRAG, have developed their own launchers, but have not had a successful launch. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. OTRAG ( German: Orbital Transport und Raketen AG, or Orbital Transport and Rockets Inc

As of 2008, only seven countries from list above ( Russia and Ukraine instead of USSR, also USA, Japan, China, India, and Israel) and one regional organization (the European Space Agency, ESA) have independently launched satellites on their own indigenously developed launch vehicles. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The European Space Agency ( ESA) established in 1975 is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 17 member (The launch capabilities of the United Kingdom and France now fall under the ESA. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The European Space Agency ( ESA) established in 1975 is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 17 member )

Several other countries, including South Korea, Iran, Brazil, Pakistan, Romania, Kazakhstan, Australia, Malaysia and Turkey, are at various stages of development of their own small-scale launcher capabilities, and seek membership in the club of space powers. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches

It is scheduled that in early 2008 South Korea will launch a KSLV rocket (created with assistance of Russia) and become the next space power. The Korea Space Launch Vehicle (KSLV will be the first space launcher of South Korea. Iran already has successfully tested its own space launch vehicle (Kavoshgar 1) and is scheduled to put its first domestic satellite (Omid 1) into orbit within a year from February 4, 2008. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Omid ( امید, Hope) is an Iranian research satellite It will be the first satellite launched by an Iranian Carrier rocket. Events 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common It is expected that Brazil and Pakistan will follow in the near future. .

First launch by country including help of other parties^[12]

Country	Year of first launch	First satellite	Payloads in orbit in 2008[13]
Soviet Union	1957	Sputnik 1	1398
United States	1958	Explorer 1	1042
Canada	1962	Alouette 1	25
Italy	1964	San Marco 1	14
France	1965	Astérix	44
Australia	1967	WRESAT	11
Germany	1969	Azur	27
Japan	1970	Osumi	111
China	1970	Dong Fang Hong I	64
United Kingdom	1971	Prospero X-3	25
Poland	1973	Intercosmos Kopernikus 500	?
Netherlands	1974	ANS	5
Spain	1974	Intasat	9
India	1975	Aryabhata	34
Indonesia	1976	Palapa A1	10
Czechoslovakia	1978	Magion 1	5
Bulgaria	1981	Intercosmos 22
Brazil	1985	Brasilsat A1	11
Mexico	1985	Morelos 1	7
Sweden	1986	Viking	11
Israel	1988	Ofeq 1	7
Luxembourg	1988	Astra 1A	15
Argentina	1990	Lusat	10
Pakistan	1990	Badr-1	5
South Korea	1992	Kitsat A	10
Portugal	1993	PoSAT-1	1
Thailand	1993	Thaicom 1	6
Turkey	1994	Turksat 1B	5
Chile	1995	FASat-Alfa	1
Malaysia	1996	MEASAT	4
Norway	1997	Thor 2	3
Philippines	1997	Mabuhay 1	2
Egypt	1998	Nilesat 101	3
Jordan	1998	Acts 1	1
Denmark	1999	Ørsted	3
South Africa	1999	SUNSAT	1
Saudi Arabia	2000	Saudisat 1A	12
United Arab Emirates	2000	Thuraya 1	3
Algeria	2002	Alsat 1	1
Greece	2003	Hellas Sat 2	2
Nigeria	2003	Nigeriasat 1	2
Iran	2005	Sina-1	1
Kazakhstan	2006	KazSat 1	1
Colombia	2007	Libertad 1	1
Vietnam	2008	VINASAT-1	1

While Canada was the third country to build a satellite which was launched into space,^[14] it was launched aboard a U. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Sputnik 1 ( "Спутник-1", "Satellite-1" ПС-1 ( PS-1, i The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Explorer 1 (officially titled at NASA as satellite 1958 Alpha) was the first Earth Satellite of the United States, launched on February 1 Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Alouette 1 was Canada 's first satellite and the first satellite operated by a country other than the USSR or the United States. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Astérix, the first French satellite was launched on November 26, 1965 by a rocket of type Diamant A from Hammaguir in Algeria For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Wresat (abbreviation for W eapons R esearch E stablishment Sat ellite was the name of the first Australian satellite Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Ōsumi (or Ohsumi is the name of the first Japanese Satellite, named after the Ōsumi Province in the southern islands of Japan. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Dōng Fāng Hóng I (东方红一号東方紅一號 also known as China 1, was the People's The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Prospero X-3 Satellite (official designation 05580 / 71093A is the only satellite to be launched by a British Rocket. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The Intercosmos ("ИнтерКосмос" Interkosmos) was a space exploration program run by the Soviet Union to allow members from military forces of allied The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Aryabhata was India's first satellite named after the great Indian astronomer of the same name The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. Palapa was a series of Communication satellites owned by Telkom, an Indonesian Telecommunication Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian The Intercosmos ("ИнтерКосмос" Interkosmos) was a space exploration program run by the Soviet Union to allow members from military forces of allied |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Viking was Sweden 's first Satellite. It was launched on an Ariane 1 rocket as a piggyback payload together with the French satellite SPOT For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Ofeq, also spelled Offek or Ofek (אופק lit Horizon is the designation of a series of Israeli Reconnaissance satellites All Ofeq Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by Astra 1A was the first satellite launched and operated by Société Européenne des Satellites (SES now SES Astra. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Badr-1, Pakistan 's first indigenously developed Satellite, was launched in 1990 from China aboard a Long March rocket. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. PoSAT-1, the first Portuguese Satellite, was launched into Orbit on September 26, 1993, aboard the Ariane IV rocket The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Thaicom is the name of a series of Communications satellites operated out of Thailand. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Turksat is name of the Turkish Communication satellites. Turksat satellite project is supervised by Aerospatiale and Turksat (company. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the FASat-Alfa was to become the first Chilean satellite and was constructed under a Technology Transfer Program between the Chilean Air Force (FACH and Surrey Satellite For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and MEASAT (Malaysia East Asia Satellite is the name of a line of Malaysian Communications satellites owned and operated by MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Nilesat 101 is an Egyptian owned Geosynchronous Communications satellite. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Mission Objectives The main scientific objective of the spacecraft was to map the Earth's magnetic field and collect data to determine the changes occurring in the field The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The S tellenbosch UN iversity SAT ellite is the first Miniaturized satellite designed and manufactured in Africa The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi Thuraya ( Arabic: الثريا /aθːurajːa/ which is the Arabic name for the Pleiades) is a regional Satellite phone provider Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Hellas-Sat Consortium Limited (Hellas-Sat is the owner and a Wholesaler of capacity and services of the Greek "Hellas-Sat-2" Satellite, an Astrium Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Sina-1 is the first Iranian artificial satellite, launched at 652 UTC October 28, 2005 on board a Cosmos-3M Russian launch vehicle Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the KazSat 1 (ҚазСат the first Kazakh space Satellite, was launched on June 18, 2006 by Proton-K rocket (made by Khrunichev Space Center Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Libertad 1 ( English: Freedom 1) is a single CubeSat built by the Space Program of the Sergio Arboleda University. Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially Vinasat-1 is the first Vietnamese satellite to be placed in orbit Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page S. rocket from a U. S. spaceport. The same goes for Australia, who launched on-board a donated Redstone rocket. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The first Italian-launched was San Marco 1, launched on 15 December 1964 on a U. Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. S. Scout rocket from Wallops Island (VA,USA) with an Italian Launch Team trained by NASA. The Scout family of Rockets were Launch vehicles designed to place small satellites into Orbit around the Earth ^[15] Australia's launch project, in November 1967, involved a donated U. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. S. missile and U. S. support staff as well as a joint launch facility with the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located ^[16] Kazakhstan claimed to have made their satellite independently, but the satellite was built with Russian help, like Polish and Bulgarian ones earlier. Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the

Attacks on satellites

For more details on this topic, see Anti-satellite weapon . Anti-satellite weapons (ASATs are Space weapons designed to destroy Satellites for strategic military purposes

In recent times satellites have been hacked by militant organisations to broadcast propaganda and to pilfer classified information from military communication networks. ^[17][18]

Satellites in low earth orbit have been destroyed by ballistic missiles launched from earth. Both Russia and the United States have demonstrated ability to eliminate satellites. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[19] In 2007 the Chinese military shot down an aging weather satellite,^[19] followed by the US Navy shooting down a defunct spy satellite in February 2008. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National USA 193, also known as NRO launch 21 ( NROL-21 or simply L-21) was an American military Spy satellite launched on December 14 2006 PortalCurrent events International holidays February 2 - Candlemas February 5 - Shrove ^[20] Russia and the United States have also shot down satellites during the Cold war. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the

Jamming

Due to the low received signal strength of satellite transmissions they are prone to Radio jamming by land-based transmitters. Radio jamming is the (usually deliberate transmission of Radio signals that disrupt communications by decreasing the Signal to noise ratio Such jamming is limited to the geographical area within the transmitter's range. GPS satellites are potential targets for jamming,^[21][22] but satellite phone and television signals have also been subjected to jamming. ^[23][24]

Satellite Services

• Satellite Internet access
• Satellite phone
• Satellite radio
• Satellite television
• Satellite navigation

See also

• 2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test
• Footprint (satellite)
• Fractionated Spacecraft
• GoldenEye (fictional satellite weapon)
• International Designator
• IMINT
• List of Earth observation satellites
• Satellite Catalog Number
• Satellite formation flying
• Smallsat
• Space debris
• USA 193

References

External links

• Earth Observations from Space A collection of satellite-based images and animations from the National Research Council.
• J-Track 3D A 3-dimensional display of all active satellites orbiting planet Earth.
• Satellite Ground Tracks Real time satellite's tracks (Full catalog of satellite orbit). (English) (German) (Spanish) (French) (Italian) (Portuguese) (Chinese)
• 'Eyes in the Sky' Free video by the Vega Science Trust and the BBC/OU Satellites and their implications over the last 50 years.
• How Stuff Works.com How satellites work
• UCS Satellite Database Lists operational satellites currently in orbit around the Earth. Updated quarterly.
• Satellite launch schedule