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Satellite types
Satellites orbiting the Earth can be used for civilian or military purposes.
Geography
Keywords
satellite, satellite types, Global Positioning System, GPS, International Space Station, ISS, Hubble, Cloudsat, GOES, Galileo spacecraft, reconnaissance satellite, space probe, space station, space research, telecommunication, meteorology, astronomy, geography
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Scenes
GPS is an advanced positioning system that allows 3 dimensional positioning, timing and speed mesurement on land, sea or in air.
Accuracy is typically within a few meters. The system operates with 31 NAVSTAR satellites, each completing 2 orbits per day, 20,200 km (12,550 mi) above the surface of the Earth.
Their location is such that at any moment at least four of them are visible from any point of the Earth. The 31 satellites are divided into six groups, they orbit the Earth in planes inclined at 60 degrees.
From flat terrain 7–12 satellites are visible at a time, of which three are necessary for positioning, and one more for determination of altitude.
International Space Station
The space station orbits the Earth on a 360 km (223.7 mi) altitude, low-Earth orbit, every 92 minutes.
Upon completion of construction, the pressurized volume of the ISS will be 600 m³ (21,190 ft³), mass 400 tonnes, power output 110 kW, total length 108.4 m (355.6 ft), length of the modules 74 m (242.8 ft), with a 6 member crew.
Astronomical satellite, in a 569 km (366.6 mi) altitude, low-Earth orbit, orbiting the Earth once every 96 minutes. It measures 13.2 m (43.31 ft) in length, 4.2 m (13.78 ft) in diameter and weighs 11.1 tonnes.
Meteorological/Earth observation satellite for the detailed examination of clouds. It orbits the Earth every 100 minutes at a 700 km (435 mi) altitude. It has a special polar orbit, sun-synchronous orbit, it scans the entire surface of the Earth's with its sensors.
One of the 31 satellites of the Global Positioning System. It orbits 20,200 km (12,550 mi) above the Earth, twice a day. It weighs 2 tonnes.
Meteorological and research satellites. Geostationary satellites at 35,790 km (22,240 mi) altitude. Permanently within view of a given ground station on Earth. Orbital period is equal to the Earth's rotation period, 1 day.
One of the telecommunication satellites orbiting above Europe.
Its orbit is geostationary, at a 35,790 km (22,240 mi) altitude. It is permanently within view of a given ground station on Earth. Its orbital period equals the Earth's rotation period, 1 day. Mass: 824 kg (1,817 lb).
Satellites for military purposes, mostly with a secret mission. Mainly used for monitoring purposes. Civilian satellites often carry military equipment and vice versa (see GPS). The first military observation satellites were equipped with analog cameras, returning the films to Earth with parachutes.
Unmanned research spacecraft. A space probe launched in 1989 to observe the moons of Jupiter. It reached Jupiter in 6 years. The probe worked until 2003, it was then guided into the atmosphere of Jupiter where it burned. Its mass was 2,223 kg (4,901 lb).
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Sputnik 1 (1957)
The Soviet-made satellite was the first spacecraft to be launched into outer space (in October 1957).
ISS
The International Space Station is a habitable satellite built with the cooperation of 16 countries.
Newton’s Laws of Motion
This animation demonstrates Sir Isaac Newton's three laws of motion that laid the foundation for classical mechanics.
Satellite navigation, GPS
The Global Positioning System consists of 24 satellites but only 4 have to be visible for positioning.
The development of celestial mechanics
This animation introduces the studies of astronomers and physicists whose works fundamentally changed our view of the universe.
Geographic coordinate system (basic)
The system of circles of latitude and longitude on the globe enable every location on the Earth to be exactly specified.
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope orbits outside the distorting influence of Earth´s atmosphere.
Mars Exploration Program
Space probes and Mars rovers examine the structure of Mars and possible traces of life.
Meteorological instruments
This animation demonstrates instruments used to examine atmospheric phenomena.
Meteorological instruments (basic)
This animation demonstrates instruments used to examine atmospheric phenomena.
Milky Way
The diameter of our galaxy is about 100,000 light years; it contains more than 100 billion stars, one of which is our Sun.
Planets, sizes
The inner planets of the Solar System are terrestrial planets while the outer planets are gas giants.
The New Horizons mission
The New Horizons space probe was launched in 2006, with the objective to study Pluto and the Kuiper Belt.
Voyager space probes
The Voyager space probes were the first man-made objects to leave the Solar System. They gather data about outer space and carry information about humanity.
Yuri Gagarin’s journey to outer space (1961)
Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space on April 12, 1961.
Fusion reactor
Nuclear fusion will serve as an environmentally friendly and practically unlimited source of energy.
Interesting astronomy facts
This animation presents some interesting facts in the field of astronomy.
Jupiter
Jupiter is the largest planet of the Solar System, it has two and a half times the mass of all the other planets combined.
Kepler space telescope
The Kepler space telescope was launched by NASA to discover Earth-like planets orbiting other stars
Moon landing: July 20, 1969
Neil Armstrong, one of the crew members of Apollo 11 was the first man to set foot on the Moon.
Observatory
Observatories are often built at high elevations to minimize the effects of atmospheric turbulence
Optical instruments
A wide variety of optical instruments are in use today, ranging from microscopes to telescopes.
The Dawn mission
Studying Ceres and Vesta will help us learn more about the early history of the Solar System and how rocky planets are formed.