What is a satellite?

What is a satellite?

What is a satellite? Usually, “satellite” refers to “man-made” satellites. These are launched into space to orbit Earth or another body in space. There are thousands of man-made or artificial satellites orbiting the earth. These have different jobs: Communications: R elay television, radio and phone signals around the world. Weather: Gather weather data used by meteorologists to forecast weather. Research: Take measurements of the Earth, sun or other objects to help us learn about the Earth, the solar system, and the universe. Navigational: Provide precise positioning to help determine a location on the earth’s surface – you may have heard the terms ‘satnav’ or ‘GPS’. Image of a Sentinel-3 satellite, one of the satellites used to observe the oceans. Credit: ESA