Satellites - Part 1

David Benford
Apr 15, 2016
2 min read

Image Source: www.abc.net.au

Planet Earth is orbited by one natural satellite, the moon. A natural satellite is any object not man-made which orbits another object. Our planet is also currently being orbited by hundreds of artificial ones as well. These artificial satellites are defined as any man-made machines launched in to space and orbit around another object. These artificial satellites can range from being scientific in nature – ones that help scientist study the oceans, land, weather, and the atmosphere to a special, one of its kind satellite known as the International Space Station (ISS). This exceptional piece of human ingenuity and engineering allows human life to stay in orbit around Earth for as long as NASA deems suitable. There are also satellites which are turned away from Earth, and are used to take pictures of stars, planets, other moons and galaxies, allowing scientist to be able to study far away objects which we cannot currently travel to. They are used for communication - sending and receiving TV or internet signals. They also help track our current location and help us navigate from one location to the next without the use of a map and/or becoming lost.

By definition, the word satellite means, “a follower resembling a slave.” Most people today think of satellites as those man-made objects that orbit the Earth or other celestial bodies. However, it’s actually an old word with its origins traced back to the Latin word satelles, “one who escorts or follows after an important person.” In English, the name was changed to satellites because heavenly bodies such as the moon can be thought of as “escorts” of the planets they orbit. According to etymonline.com, the word satellite was first attested in the 1660’s by German astronomer Johannes Kepler. Today, astronomers reference satellites as any object which orbits another. That could include a moon around a planet, a planet around a star, or a man-made object around a planet or moon.

Sputnik. Image Source - en.wikipedia.org

Currently, there are roughly 1,100 active satellites orbiting the Earth, both government and private. The first satellite launched into orbit was conducted by the Russians in 1957, named Sputnik which beat the Americans to space during the Cold War. NASA launched their first satellite in 1958, known as Explorer 1. Explorer 1 contained a sensor that measured high-energy particles in space called cosmic rays. And in 1959, NASA’s Explorer 6 took the first ever picture of Earth followed by TIROS-1 in 1960 that took the first ever TV picture from space. They did not show much detail, but it paved the way for how humans are able to view the Earth and space today.

International Space Station. Image Source - en.wikipedia.org

Most people don’t sit around while starring at their phones, or watching TV, or browsing the internet and think how they’re able to do such things with ease. But there is true magic, or science if you will, that allows for such things to happen.

Resources

"Definition of Satellite - Merriam-Webster's Student Dictionary." Definition of Satellite - Merriam- Webster's Student Dictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.

Dunbar, Brian. NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.

"Online Etymology Dictionary." Online Etymology Dictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.