A satellite used to be the stuff of spy novels, used only by the government to peek into the business of other countries. Today you take advantage of the data provided by numerous satellites, even if you don't realize it. A satellite supplied most of the information for your news, even if you still get it in paper form. Satellites bring you Internet service, phone service, television coverage, maps, and many more items and services.
One of Webster's definitions for satellite is "a hired agent or obsequious follower". While satellites these days are mechanical vehicles intended to follow the Earth's orbit, that definition still applies. Today there are literally thousands of working satellites orbiting earth, and over twenty thousand pieces of "space junk", some of which are old, non-functioning satellites.
The very first man-made satellite to successfully orbit earth was Sputnik, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. It orbited for only about 90 days before burning up in the atmosphere. Sputnik had advanced technology for the time, but today's satellites do far more than the designers of Sputnik could ever have dreamed.
Any satellite placed into orbit needs to achieve and maintain orbital velocity, the window of speed that will keep the satellite from falling out of orbit due to Earth's gravity, but also keep it from flying out into space. The speed of a satellite's orbital velocity changes the farther away from Earth it orbits.
There are different orbits for satellites, depending on their job. The most common one is a geostationary or geosynchronous orbit, where the satellite remains stationed over the same spot on Earth. As our planet rotates, so does the satellite.
Geosynchronous orbits are used by television, radio and weather satellites to beam information back to users for entertainment and information services. The space shuttle uses an asynchronous orbit, which is much lower and doesn't track Earth's orbit. The space shuttle may pass overhead several times per day due to this orbit.
Finally, a polar orbit is configured so the satellite passes over earth's poles on each revolution. Going between poles means the satellite covers a whole lot of terrain, and this orbit is typically used for mapping and photography satellites. Satellites in polar orbits are giving us valuable information on the effects of global warming on our planet.
On a clear night you may be able to see a satellite passing overhead. There are charts and websites that will show when various satellites will pass over your location. You do need to know your latitude and longitude coordinates, but those are available from the USGS Mapping Information website.
Once you have your exact location, go to a satellite tracking web site and find a satellite you'd like to attempt to see. Because of national security concerns, not all satellites may be listed on these websites, but if you do see a north-south orbit on a satellite, it may indicate it's a spy satellite. Satellites are generally viewed as tiny "stars" that move faster than those around them.
In fact, you may be able to use your GPS device to get your latitude and longitude, so you can track the satellite that just gave you those coordinates!
Satellites impact everything we do, from the news we receive to our internet connection to getting directions to a new pizza joint. A satellite is a critical part of everyday life in America.
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