Satellites

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What you probably didn’t know is that everything that is around you that goes around something repeatedly is considered a satellite. There are hundreds of satellites in the universe!

Different Types of Satellites

There are two basic types of satellites. Artificial satellites are made by Mother Nature, like the Moon and the Earth. The moon is a satellite because it revolves around the Earth and the Earth is a satellite because it revolves around the sun.

Image of satellite at http://www-tsdis.gsfc.nasa.gov/tsdis/tsdis.html courtesy of NASA. Permission at http://www.nasa.gov/gallery/photo/guideline.html

Machines make artificial satellites. They are very important to us because if we didn’t have them, we would not know what the universe looks like. There are six types of artificial satellites: communication, resource, navigation, military, scientific, and weather.

Communication Satellites

Communication satellites capture radio waves and send them to other spots in the world. They help us because people can keep in touch with things happening around the world.

Resource Satellites

Resource satellites help scientists monitor natural resources by taking pictures. The camera focuses in on a target and takes the picture. Pictures are sent to scientists who study them and turn them into maps. These maps can show things like underground oil deposits and even foggy air.

Navigation Satellites

Navigation satellites are used by pilots and sailors to help them figure out where they are and where they are going. If the sailors or pilots are in trouble, they will send distress signals! Satellites will capture these signals and send them to emergency rescue stations. The signals allow the emergency crew to find and rescue the ones in need of help.

Military Satellites

Military satellites help the armed forces. They use them for navigation, communication, and spying on other countries by taking pictures and reading the radio waves that are sent by the country.

Scientific Satellites

Scientific satellites help scientists study the conditions of space. Satellites study the planets, the Sun, other solar systems, and deep in space, including objects like asteroids, comets, and black holes.

Weather Satellites

Weather satellites are used to help scientists study different kinds of weather. The satellite has a camera just like the resource satellite that takes pictures also! They take pictures of places on the Earth to figure out where rain, snow, sleet, and hail are falling. It can also determine what kinds of clouds are in the air.

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Space Exploration of the Past, Present, and Future
Bartlett Elementary School 2000