Satellite

An animation depicting the orbits of GPS satellites in medium Earth orbit.

A full-size model of the Earth observation satellite ERS 2

Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon. The world's first artificial satellite, the Sputnik 1, was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. Since then, thousands of satellites have been launched into orbit around the Earth; also some satellites, notably space stations, have been launched in parts and assembled in orbit. Artificial satellites 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 space debris. A few space probes have been placed into orbit around other bodies and become artificial satellites to the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the Sun. Satellites are used for a large number of purposes. Common types include military and civilian Earth observation satellites, communications satellites, navigation satellites, weather satellites, and research satellites. 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 low Earth orbit, polar orbit, and geostationary orbit.
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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.
History of artificial satellites

Sputnik 1: The first artificial satellite to orbit Earth.

The first artificial satellite was Sputnik 1, launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957, and initiating the Soviet Sputnik program, with Sergei Korolev as chief designer (there is a crater on the lunar far side which bears his name). This in turn triggered the Space Race between the Soviet Union and the United States. Sputnik 1 helped to identify the density of high atmospheric layers through measurement of its orbital change and provided data on radio-signal distribution in the ionosphere. The unanticipated announcement of Sputnik 1's success precipitated the Sputnik crisis in the United States and ignited the so-called Space Race within the Cold War. Sputnik 2 was launched on November 3, 1957 and carried the first living passenger into orbit, a dog named Laika.[5] In May, 1946, Project RAND had released the Preliminary Design of an Experimental World-Circling Spaceship, which stated, "A satellite vehicle with appropriate instrumentation can be expected to be one of the most potent scientific tools of the Twentieth Century.[6] The United States had been considering launching orbital satellites since 1945 under the Bureau of Aeronautics of the United States Navy. The United States Air Force's Project RAND eventually released the above report, but did not believe that the satellite was a potential military weapon; rather, they considered it to be a tool for science, politics, and propaganda. In 1954, the Secretary of Defense stated, "I know of no American satellite program."[7] multi-national satellites. 'First launch by country Order Country Year of first launch Rocket Satellite 1 Soviet Union 1957 Sputnik-PS Sputnik 1 2 United States 1958 Juno I Explorer 1 3 1965 Diamant Astrix France 4 1970 Lambda-4S sumi Japan 5 1970 Long March 1 Dong Fang Hong I China 6 United Kingdom 1971 Black Arrow Prospero X-3 7 India 1980 SLV Rohini 8 1988 Shavit Ofeq 1 Israel
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Order _ _ 9

Country Russia[1] Ukraine[1] Iran

'First launch by country Year of first launch Rocket 1992 Soyuz-U 1992 Tsyklon-3 2009 Safir-2

Satellite Kosmos 2175 Strela Omid

Types

MILSTAR:A communication satellite

Types

Anti-Satellite weapons/"Killer Satellites" are satellites that are designed to destroy enemy warheads, satellites, other space assets. Astronomical satellites are satellites used for observation of distant planets, galaxies, and other outer space objects. Biosatellites are satellites designed to carry living organisms, generally for scientific experimentation. Communications satellites are satellites stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications. Modern communications satellites typically use geosynchronous orbits, Molniya orbits or Low Earth orbits. Miniaturized satellites are satellites of unusually low weights and small sizes.[13] New classifications are used to categorize these satellites: minisatellite (500100 kg), microsatellite (below 100 kg), nanosatellite (below 10 kg). Navigational satellites are satellites which use radio time signals transmitted to enable mobile receivers on the ground to determine their exact location. The relatively clear line of sight between the satellites and receivers on the ground, combined with ever-improving electronics, allows satellite navigation systems to measure location to accuracies on the order of a few meters in real time. Reconnaissance satellites are Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications. Very little is known about the full power of these satellites, as governments who operate them usually keep information pertaining to their reconnaissance satellites classified. Earth observation satellites are satellites intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, map making etc. (See especially Earth Observing System.) Tether satellites are satellites which are connected to another satellite by a thin cable called a tether. Weather satellites are primarily used to monitor Earth's weather and climate.[14]
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Recovery satellites are satellites that provides a recovery of reconnaissance, biological, spaceproduction and other payloads from orbit to Earth. Manned spacecraft (spaceships) are large satellites able for put human into (and beyond) an orbit, being on it and recovery back to Earth. Spacecrafts, and orbital parts-spaceplanes of reusable systems also, has a major propulsion or landing facilities, and often uses as transport to and from the orbital stations. Space stations are man-made orbital structures that are designed for human beings to live on in outer space. A space station is distinguished from other manned spacecraft by its lack of major propulsion or landing facilities. Space stations are designed for medium-term living in orbit, for periods of weeks, months, or even years.
Explorer 1
1958 Alpha 1

Operator

Army Ballistic Missile Agency

Major contractors Jet Propulsion Laboratory Mission type Satellite of Launch date Carrier rocket Launch site Mission duration Orbital decay COSPAR ID Homepage Mass Earth science Earth 1958-02-01 03:48 UTC Juno I Cape Canaveral Missile Annex, Florida 111 days 1970-03-31 1958-001A NASA NSSDC Master Catalog 13.97 kg (30.80 lb) Orbital elements Semimajor axis Eccentricity Inclination Apoapsis 7,832.2 km (4,866.7 mi) 0.139849 33.24 2,550 km (1,580 mi)

Periapsis Orbital period

358 km (222 mi) 114.8 minutes

Explorer 1 (1958 Alpha 1)[5] was the first Earth satellite of the United States, launched as part of its participation in the International Geophysical Year. The mission followed the first two Earth satellites the previous year, the Soviet Union's Sputnik 1 and 2, beginning the Cold War Space Race between the two nations. Explorer 1 was launched on January 31, 1958 at 22:48 Eastern Time (equal to February 1, 03:48 UTC) atop the first Juno booster from LC-26 at the Cape Canaveral Missile Annex, Florida. It was the first spacecraft to detect the Van Allen radiation belt,[6] returning data until its batteries were exhausted after nearly four months. It remained in orbit until 1970, and has been followed by more than 90 scientific spacecraft in the Explorer series. Explorer 1 was designed and built by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), while a Jupiter-C rocket was modified by the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) to accommodate a satellite payload; the resulting rocket known as the Juno I. The Jupiter-C design used for the launch had already been flighttested in nose cone reentry tests for the Jupiter IRBM, and was modified into Juno I. Working closely together, ABMA and JPL completed the job of modifying the Jupiter-C and building Explorer 1 in 84 days. However, before work was completed, the Soviet Union launched a second satellite, Sputnik 2, on November 3, 1957. The U.S. Navy's attempt to put the first U.S. satellite into orbit failed with the launch of the Vanguard TV3 on December 6, 1957.[9]

Astrix (satellite)

Replica of Astrix at Muse de l'Air et de l'Espace, Paris Le Bourget Astrix, the first French satellite, was launched on November 26, 1965 by a rocket of type Diamant A from Hammaguir in Algeria. It was originally designated A-1, as the French Army's first satellite, but later renamed after the popular French cartoon character Astrix. Due to the relatively high altitude of its orbit, it is not expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere for several centuries to come.

sumi

Operator Mission type Satellite of Launch date

Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science, University of Tokyo (now part of JAXA) Earth science Earth February 11, 1970 at 04:25 UTC

Launch vehicle Lambda 4S-5 Orbital decay COSPAR ID Mass Power August 2, 2003 1970-011A 24.0 kg[1] 10.3 watt[1] Orbital elements Eccentricity Inclination Apoapsis Periapsis Orbital period

.262379[2] 31.0[2] 5,140 km[2] 350 km[2] 144.0 minutes[2]

sumi (or Ohsumi) is the name of the first Japanese artificial satellite put into orbit, named after the sumi Province in the southern islands of Japan. It was launched on February 11, 1970 at 04:25 UTC with a Lambda 4S-5 rocket from Uchinoura Space Center by Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science, University of Tokyo, now part of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Japan became the fourth nation after the USSR, USA and France to release an artificial satellite into successful orbit.

Parameters

The sumi satellite weighed 24.0 kilograms.[1] It orbited the Earth with a perigee of 323 km and an apogee of 2,440 km, and with an inclination of 31.0.[3] sumi decayed from orbit and burned up in the atmosphere on August 2, 2003.[4]

Dong Fang Hong I

DFH-1 model. Dong Fang Hong I also known as China 1], was the People's Republic of China's first space satellite, launched successfully on April 24, 1970. At 173 kg (381 lb), it was heavier than the first satellites of other countries. The satellite carried a radio transmitter.

Prospero (satellite)
Prospero (X-3)

A mockup of the Prospero satellite Operator Major contractors Mission type Launch date Carrier rocket Launch site COSPAR ID Mass RAE BAC MES Technology 28 October 1971 Black Arrow R3 LA-5B, Woomera 1971-093A 66kg Orbital elements Regime Inclination Apoapsis Periapsis Orbital period LEO 82 1,402 kilometres (871 mi) 531 kilometres (330 mi) 104.4 minutes

The Prospero satellite, also known as X-3,[1] is a satellite launched by the United Kingdom in 1971. It was designed to undertake a series of experiments studying the effects of the space environment. It is the only United Kingdom satellite to be successfully launched by a UK rocket; it was launched in October 1971, remained operational until 1973, and was contacted annually for over a quarter century after that.[2]

Rohini (satellite)
Rohini Satellite Series Operator Mission type Satellite of Orbital insertion date Launch date Launch vehicle Carrier rocket Launch site Mission duration Orbital decay Homepage Mass Power Batteries ISRO Experimental Satellites Earth 1980-07-18 (RS-1), 1981-05-31 (RS-D1), 1983-04-17 (RS-D2) 1979-08-10 (RTP), 1980-07-18 (RS-1), 1981-05-31 (RS-D1), 1983-04-17 (RSD2) SLV SLV SDHC 20 months (RS-1), 9 Days (RS-D1), 17 months (RS-D2) 1981-06-08 (RS-D1), 1990-04-19 (RS-D2) http://www.isro.org/satellites/experimentalsmallsatellite.aspx 30 Kg (RTP), 35Kg (RS-1), 38Kg(RS-D1), 41.5Kg (RS-D2) 3W (RTP), 16W (RS-1,RS-D1,RS-D2) Ni-Cd Orbital elements

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Kosmos 2175 Strela (satellite)

Strela (Russian: , arrow) is a Ukrainian (previously Soviet) military communications satellite constellation operating in low Earth orbit.

History
The first three satellites, Kosmos 38 (reentered 1964-11-08), Kosmos 39 (reentered 1964-11-17) and Kosmos 40 (reentered 1964-11-17), were launched on 18 August 1964. Five different types of Strela satellites have been launched, designated Strela1 (1964-65), Strela-1M (1970-1992), Strela-2 (1965-1968), Strela-2M (1970-1994), 400km Circular and Strela-3 (1985-2010).[1][2][3][4][5][6] Strela satellites are also used for the civilian LEO Gonets program

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Omid
Omid satellite

Operator Launch date Carrier rocket Orbital decay COSPAR ID

ISA 2009-02-02 Safir-2 SLV 2009-04-25 2009-004A Orbital elements

Inclination Apoapsis Periapsis Orbital period

55.5 383.8 km 252.7 km 90.7 min

Omid (Persian meaning "Hope")[1] was Iran's first domestically made satellite[2][3] Omid is a data-processing satellite for research and telecommunications, was successfully launched on 2 February 2009.

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Aryabhata (satellite)
Aryabhatta

Operator Mission type Satellite of Launch date Carrier rocket COSPAR ID Mass Power

ISRO Astrophysics Earth 19 April 1975 Cosmos-3M 1975-033A 360.0 kg 46 W from solar panels Orbital elements

Regime Inclination Apoapsis Periapsis Orbital period

LEO 50.7 619 kilometres (385 mi) 563 kilometres (350 mi) 96 minutes

Aryabhatta was India's first satellite, named after the great Indian astronomer of the same name. It was launched by the Soviet Union on 19 April 1975 from Kapustin Yar using a Cosmos-3M launch vehicle. It was built by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to gain experience in building and operating a satellite in space.[

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Alouette 1
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The Alouette 1 satellite Alouette 1 was Canada's first satellite, and the first satellite constructed by a country other than the USSR or the United States.

Rohini is the name given to a series of satellites launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation. The Rohini series consisted of four satellites, all of which were launched by the Indian space research organisation Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV) and three of which made it successfully to orbit. The series were mostly experimental satellites launched on the experimental launch vehicle SLV.

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