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A satellite is an object in space that orbits a larger celestial body in a circular motion. Natural satellites, such as the Moon orbiting the Earth, and artificial satellites, such as the International Space Station orbiting the Earth, are the two main types of satellites. Natural satellites are formed by nature, but artificial satellites are created by humans and sent into orbit to provide a variety of functions such as communication, weather monitoring, scientific study, or navigation. Satellites are critical for gathering data, sending messages, and expanding our understanding of the universe.
Many natural satellites can be identified in our solar system. Almost every planet has at least one Moon, and most have many. Saturn, for example, has a whopping 53 natural satellites. In addition, Saturn possessed an artificial satellite named the Cassini spacecraft from 2004 and 2017. Cassini was on a unique mission to investigate Saturn and its moons, including its renowned rings.
However, artificial satellites became a reality in the middle of the twentieth century. Sputnik was the name given to the first artificial satellite. On October 4, 1957, a Russian space probe about the size of a beach ball was launched. This incident took aback many people in the Western world because it was widely assumed that the Soviets could not launch satellites into space.
Many different types of satellite orbits?
When a satellite is sent into space, it is often placed in certain orbits around the Earth. On the other hand, a satellite may be dispatched on a journey to other planets, where it will travel around the Sun until it reaches its eventual destination.
These are frequently classified depending on their distance from the Earth and their speed. These elements influence their coverage and capabilities. When developing a satellite orbit, developers must examine its purpose, the data it collects, the services it delivers, and the cost, coverage area, and feasibility of various orbits. Its orbits are classified into five types:
- Low Earth Orbit (LEO),
- Medium Earth orbit (MEO),
- geostationary orbit (GEO),
- Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO),
- geostationary transfer orbit (GTO)
These are the various orbital pathways that its employ. Low Earth Orbit (LEO), in particular, orbit in a low orbit relatively close to the Earth’s surface.
In Low Earth Orbit (LEO) orbit the Earth at 160-1,500 kilometers above the surface. Because their orbital period is very short, lasting between 90 and 120 minutes, they can perform up to 16 orbits around the earth. Earth in a single day. This property makes them ideal for various applications such as remote sensing, high-resolution earth observation, and scientific research. LEO’s acquire and transmit data quickly, allowing for more efficient data collection and dissemination.
In low Earth orbit (LEO)
In low Earth orbit (LEO) can change the angle of their orbital plane in reference to the Earth’s surface. LEO is a widely used orbit type because of the multiple potential trajectories for spacecraft. However, because of their close closeness to the Earth, LEO satellites have a lower coverage area than other types.
To address this limitation, satellite constellations consisting of many LEO are sometimes launched simultaneously, establishing a network encircling the Earth. By pooling their resources and cooperating, these constellations may cover huge areas at the same time. This distributed network provides improved coverage, making LEO satellite constellations ideal for various applications such as global communication, Earth observation, and tracking.
Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)
Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites travel in an orbit between low Earth orbit and geostationary orbit. MEO satellites, which are typically positioned at altitudes ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 kilometers, serve an important role in delivering positioning and navigation systems such as GPS (Global Positioning System).
The use of MEO for high-throughput data transfer has advanced significantly in recent years. High-throughput satellite MEO constellations, in particular, have been implemented to provide low-latency data connectivity for service providers, commercial corporations, and government organizations. This breakthrough has permitted efficient and speedy data transfer, allowing for a variety of applications that demand real-time or near real-time connectivity, such as internet services, remote sensing, and telecommunication networks.
Geostationary Orbit (GEO)
Geostationary Orbit (GEO) orbit the Earth at a height of 35,786 kilometers above the surface, directly above the equator. Because of their enormous reach across the Earth’s surface, they can give near-global coverage by strategically positioning three equidistant satellites in GEO.
GEO are distinguished by their capacity to remain stable at a given point on Earth. This implies that while the Earth spins, they maintain their relative locations to the ground, allowing for consistent communication and observation across a specified area. GEO ‘ enormous coverage area makes them extremely advantageous for applications that require continuous and reliable communication services, such as television broadcasting, weather monitoring, and long-distance telephony.
Geostationary orbit (GEO) is an orbital path in which objects look motionless from the Earth’s surface. This is because their orbital period corresponds to the Earth’s rotation time of 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds. As a result, terrestrial antennas may point consistently towards these GEO, making them perfect for continuous communication services like television and phones.
Cloud cover is monitored using geostationary orbit satellites. They provide observations of cloud patterns, allowing wind speeds to be calculated based on the observed cloud movement.
Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO)
Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) travel from north to south across the polar regions, maintaining a height of 600 to 800 km above the Earth’s surface. The orbital characteristics, such as inclination and altitude, are meticulously calibrated to ensure that these are passes over a certain area at the correct local solar time.
As a result, SSO spacecraft are well-suited for Earth observation and environmental monitoring because they provide consistent lighting conditions for imaging. This also means SSO images from the present and past are excellent for identifying variations. Scientists utilize these image sets to study how weather patterns change, forecast cyclones, monitor wildfires and floods, and collect data on long-term issues such as deforestation and coastline changes. However, because SSO spacecraft orbit closer to Earth, they can only capture a smaller area at a time and require more to cover the entire region continuously.
Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO)
In Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) are widely used to transition from a temporary orbit to a Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO). When spacecraft are launched into orbit using launchers like the Falcon 9, they are not immediately positioned in their desired orbit. They are instead delivered to transfer orbits, which act as stopovers on their way to their final destination in space. The satellite’s engine is then turned on to propel it into the proper orbit and, if necessary, to change its inclination. This method allows the satellite to achieve geostationary orbit for a low cost.
There are a couple of orbit types that are not as common, including the highly elliptical orbit (HEO), polar orbit, and Lagrange point (L-point). The type of orbit chosen is determined by the spacecraft’s specific goals and tasks. As a result, it is critical to analyze the type of satellite required for various applications carefully.
Communication satellites
Communication, normally positioned in Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), play an important role in information transmission. These are outfitted with a transponder, a radio signal receiver, and a transmitter. They receive Earth signals and send them back to the planet.
As a result, it opens up communication routes between locations previously unable to speak with one another due to huge distances or other impediments.
Various kinds of communication allow for a wide range of media transmissions, such as radio, television, telephone, and the Internet.
Earth observation
The primary objective of Earth observation satellites is to observe and monitor our planet from orbit, offering vital insights into any identified changes. These satellites offer consistent and systematic environmental monitoring and quick event analysis, particularly during emergencies such as natural catastrophes and armed conflicts. This technology is critical for acquiring critical information about the state of the Earth and supporting informed decision-making.
Navigation
Navigation satellites orbit the Earth at altitudes 20,000 to 37,000 kilometers above the surface. They send out signals that indicate their precise time, location in space, and general operational status. There are two types of space navigation systems:
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) use satellites to broadcast signals recognized and used by GNSS receivers for geolocation, assuring global coverage. GNSS implementations include Galileo in Europe, GPS in the United States, an. These technologies are critical for accurate positioning and navigation around the world.
Earth-orbiting
An Earth satellite, which is sometimes referred to as an artificial satellite, is a man-made object sent into space around our planet, either for a short time or for a longer duration. They are either crewed or un crewed, with the vast majority being un crewed.
Newton discovered that if a cannonball were shot with adequate speed from a mountain’s peak in a direction parallel to the horizon, it would circle the Earth before eventually dropping. While gravity would drag the object toward the Earth’s surface, momentum would cause it to follow a curving path. By increasing the velocity, the object may establish a stable orbit similar to the Moon or be directed completely away from Earth.
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