SATELLITE FACTS
The home of interesting satellite facts for kids and adults.
Interesting facts about satellites
What is a satellite?
A satellite is any object, natural or otherwise, that orbits a star or a planet. The Moon is a natural satellite because it orbits Earth and Earth is a satellite of the Sun because it orbits it.
There are artificial satellites too, the ones made by people, that orbit the Earth. These can often be seen in the night sky, and they normally have one specific job. Let's find out some more about these types of satellites with our 10 facts that you may not already know
1. The first artificial satellite was from the USSR
The first man-made satellite was called Sputnik 1. launched by the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) in 1957. A small aluminium ball, roughly the size of a beach ball, Sputnik 1 was powered by batteries.
Did you know?
Sputnik 1 only transmitted its signal for 3 weeks, but it marked the start of the Space Age.
2. There have been lots of satellites in orbit with Earth
Since 1957, around 8,900 satellites have been launched into space from over 40 different countries – as of 2018 – and more are being launched all the time.
Did you know?
According to the same 2018 estimation, around 5,000 satellites are still in orbit around Earth.
3. It’s important to get satellites in the right place.
If a pizza delivery person delivers to the wrong house it won't cost the company very much, but what about a satellite? The European Space Agency sent its Artemis satellite to the wrong spot in space, a mistake that cost the ESA over £613 million.
Did you know?
The ESA was able to reprogram Artemis, 18 months later, and manoeuvre it into the right orbit.
4. The ISS is the largest artificial satellite to be built.
The International Space Station is a habitable laboratory in orbit with Earth. Travelling at a little over 17,000 miles per hour the ISS takes just 92 minutes to make one orbit of Earth.
Did you know?
The ISS is also the world’s most expensive single object, costing over $100 billion.
5. Satellites are launched into space by rockets.
Launched into space by rockets, satellites orbit Earth (on average) at an altitude of 22,200 miles. Satellites need to travel at least 17,450 miles per hour to stay in orbit and not come crashing back to Earth.
Did you know?
The fastest satellites in orbit are Helios A and Helios B. They are in orbit around the sun and travel at around 157,000 miles per hour.
6. Collisions? Not likely.
Artificial satellites very rarely collide with one another in Space, this is because they are each launched into what is called a ‘satellite-avoiding orbit. The first accidental collision between satellites happened in 2009.
Did you know?
The satellites Iridium 33, and Kosmos-2251 collided over Siberia in 2009 at a speed of 26,000 miles per hour.
7. The GPS is a network of satellites.
The global positioning system is a network of 24 satellites. They all orbit Earth at an approximate altitude of 12,400 miles. The difference in time that it takes for signals from 4 of these satellites is enough to calculate the exact position of a given GPS receiver here on Earth.
Did you know?
The global positioning system is owned by the US government and is operated by the US Space Force.
8. Astronomical satellites have camera.
This type of satellite is used to monitor and take images of space and space objects. The Hubble Space Telescope is one such satellite and provides us with images of stars, planets and distant galaxies.
Did you know?
Hubble is not the only space telescope – others include Chandra and Spitzer.
9. NASA has two satellites chasing one another.
Currently, 2 satellites are in orbit and are chasing each other around Earth. NASA has them doing this so that they can better track gravitational anomalies.
Did you know?
These two satellites have been nicknamed Tom & Jerry.
10. Satellites are used to photograph Earth.
Pictures that have been taken by high-resolution satellite camera equipment have helped identify over 3 thousand settlements in Egypt, 17 pyramids and more than 1,000 tombs.
Did you know?
Satellites provide us with data about Earth’s oceans, clouds and air. They are also used to monitor smoke, wildfires and smoke. Scientists use this data to help them predict climate and weather patterns.