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Created page with 'File:lighterstill.jpgright|frame ==Etymology== Middle French, from Latin satellit-, satelles attendant *Date: circa [http://www.wikipedi...'
[[File:lighterstill.jpg]][[File:ConstellationGPS.gif|right|frame]]
==Etymology==
Middle French, from [[Latin]] satellit-, satelles attendant
*Date: circa [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_Century 1548]
==Definitions==
*1 : a hired [[agent]] or obsequious follower : minion, sycophant
*2 a : a [[celestial]] [[body]] orbiting another of larger size
:b : a manufactured object or vehicle intended to orbit the [[earth]], the moon, or another celestial body
*3 : someone or something attendant, subordinate, or dependent; especially : a country politically and economically dominated or controlled by another more powerful country
*4 : a usually independent urban [[community]] situated near but not immediately adjacent to a large city
==Description==
In 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, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_1 Sputnik 1], was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. By 2010 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 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_debris space debris]. A few [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_probe 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. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_station ]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 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Earth_orbit low Earth orbit], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_orbit polar orbit], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geostationary_orbit 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.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sattelite]
[[Category: Physics]]
[[Category: Astronomy]]
==Etymology==
Middle French, from [[Latin]] satellit-, satelles attendant
*Date: circa [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_Century 1548]
==Definitions==
*1 : a hired [[agent]] or obsequious follower : minion, sycophant
*2 a : a [[celestial]] [[body]] orbiting another of larger size
:b : a manufactured object or vehicle intended to orbit the [[earth]], the moon, or another celestial body
*3 : someone or something attendant, subordinate, or dependent; especially : a country politically and economically dominated or controlled by another more powerful country
*4 : a usually independent urban [[community]] situated near but not immediately adjacent to a large city
==Description==
In 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, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_1 Sputnik 1], was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. By 2010 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 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_debris space debris]. A few [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_probe 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. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_station ]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 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Earth_orbit low Earth orbit], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_orbit polar orbit], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geostationary_orbit 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.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sattelite]
[[Category: Physics]]
[[Category: Astronomy]]