satellite

     

In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been place into orbit by human endeavor. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon.

Trivia about satellite

  • The Iridium 9555 connects via this way up high & says it "works everywhere, without exception"
  • Launched in 1962, Telstar was the first commercial one of these
  • Designed by JPL, the USA's first of these is at the nose of the rocket in the 1958 photo seen here
  • Navstar, one of these, allows aircraft & ships to determine their position anywhere on Earth
  • On April 24, 1970 China launched its first of these, an important achievement for Chinese science
  • The Moon is one
  • From a Latin word for "attendant", it can be a celestial body that orbits a planet or a manmade object that orbits earth
  • 1978's SEASAT, a companion to LANDSAT, was the first one of these dedicated to oceanography
  • After a grappling arm in the shuttle cargo bay failed, Joseph Allen held one of these over his head for an entire orbit
  • On Feb. 1, 1958 the Detroit Free Press said, "U.S. Fires Moon!"; they meant the USA's first of these, Explorer 1