government to peek into the business of other countries. Today
you take advantage of the data provided by numerous satellites,
even if you don't realize it. A satellite supplied most of the
information for your news, even if you still get it in paper
form. Satellites bring you Internet service, phone service,
television coverage, maps, and many more items and services.
One of Webster's definitions for satellite is "a hired agent or
obsequious follower". While satellites these days are mechanical
vehicles intended to follow the Earth's orbit, that definition
still applies. Today there are literally thousands of working
satellites orbiting earth, and over twenty thousand pieces of
"space junk", some of which are old, non-functioning satellites.
The very first man-made satellite to successfully orbit earth
was Sputnik, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. It orbited
for only about 90 days before burning up in the atmosphere.
Sputnik had advanced technology for the time, but today's
satellites do far more than the designers of Sputnik could ever
have dreamed.
Any satellite placed into orbit needs to achieve and maintain
orbital velocity, the window of speed that will keep the
satellite from falling out of orbit due to Earth's gravity, but
also keep it from flying out into space. The speed of a
satellite's orbital velocity changes the farther away from Earth
it orbits.
There are different orbits for satellites, depending on their
job. The most common one is a geostationary or geosynchronous
orbit, where the satellite remains stationed over the same spot
on Earth. As our planet rotates, so does the satellite.
Geosynchronous orbits are used by television, radio and weather
satellites to beam information back to users for entertainment
and information services. The space shuttle uses an asynchronous
orbit, which is much lower and doesn't track Earth's orbit. The
space shuttle may pass overhead several times per day due to
this orbit.
Finally, a polar orbit is configured so the satellite passes
over earth's poles on each revolution. Going between poles means
the satellite covers a whole lot of terrain, and this orbit is
typically used for mapping and photography satellites.
Satellites in polar orbits are giving us valuable information on
the effects of global warming on our planet.
On a clear night you may be able to see a satellite passing
overhead. There are charts and websites that will show when
various satellites will pass over your location. You do need to
know your latitude and longitude coordinates, but those are
available from the USGS Mapping Information website.
Once you have your exact location, go to a satellite tracking
web site and find a satellite you'd like to attempt to see.
Because of national security concerns, not all satellites may be
listed on these websites, but if you do see a north-south orbit
on a satellite, it may indicate it's a spy satellite. Satellites
are generally viewed as tiny "stars" that move faster than those
around them.
In fact, you may be able to use your GPS device to get your
latitude and longitude, so you can track the satellite that just
gave you those coordinates!
Satellites impact everything we do, from the news we receive to
our internet connection to getting directions to a new pizza
joint. A satellite is a critical part of everyday life in
America.
About the author:
frank j vanderlugt owns and operates
http://www.satellite-tv
Service
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