What does satellites mean?

Definitions for satellites
satel·lites

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word satellites.

Wikipedia

  1. satellites

    A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Satellites have a variety of uses, including communication relay, weather forecasting, navigation (GPS), broadcasting, scientific research, and Earth observation. Additional military uses are reconnaissance, early warning, signals intelligence and, potentially, weapon delivery. Other satellites include the final rocket stages that placed satellites in orbit and formerly useful satellites that are now defunct. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs). Most satellites also have a method of communication to ground stations, called transponders. Many satellites use a standardized bus to save cost and work, the most popular of which is small CubeSats. Similar satellites can work together as a group, forming constellations. Because of the high launch cost to space, satellites are designed to be as lightweight and robust as possible. Most communication satellites are radio relay stations in orbit and carry dozens of transponders, each with a bandwidth of tens of megahertz. Satellites are placed from the surface to orbit by launch vehicles, high enough to avoid orbital decay by the atmosphere. Satellites can then change or maintain the orbit by propulsion, usually by chemical or ion thrusters. In 2018, about 90% of satellites orbiting Earth are in low Earth orbit or geostationary orbit; geostationary means the satellites stay still at the sky. Some imaging satellites chose a Sun-synchronous orbit because they can scan the entire globe with similar lighting. As the number of satellites and space debris around Earth increases, the threat of collision has become more severe. A small number of satellites orbit other bodies (such as the Moon, Mars, and the Sun) or many bodies at once (two for a halo orbit, three for a Lissajous orbit). Earth observation satellites gather information for reconnaissance, mapping, monitoring the weather, ocean, forest, etc. Space telescopes take advantage of outer space's near perfect vacuum to observe objects with the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Because satellites can see a large portion of the Earth at once, communications satellites can relay information to remote places. The signal delay from satellites and their orbit's predictability are used in satellite navigation systems, such as GPS. Space probes are satellites designed for robotic space exploration outside of Earth, and space stations are in essence crewed satellites. The first artificial satellite to be launched into the Earth's orbit was the Soviet Union's Sputnik 1, on 4 October 1957.

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

  1. Satellites

    name given to the secondary bodies which revolve round the planets of the solar system, of which the Earth has one, Mars two, Jupiter four, Saturn eight, Uranus four, and Neptune is known to have at least one, as Venus is surmised to have.

Dictionary of Nautical Terms

  1. satellites

    Secondary planets or moons, which revolve about some of the primary planets. The moon is a satellite to the earth.

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer

  1. satellites

    Were certain armed men, of whom mention is made in the history of Philip Augustus, king of France. The satellites of Philip Augustus were men selected from the militia of the country, who fought on foot and horseback. The servants or batmen who attended the military knights when they went into action were likewise called satellites, and fought in their defense mounted or on foot.

Editors Contribution

  1. satellites

    Plural form of satellite.

    There are a large number of satellites in orbit around the earth and each have a different function and purpose.


    Submitted by MaryC on March 4, 2016  

Suggested Resources

  1. satellites

    Song lyrics by satellites -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by satellites on the Lyrics.com website.

How to pronounce satellites?

How to say satellites in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of satellites in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of satellites in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of satellites in a Sentence

  1. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy:

    We are looking at how we can use satellites to enhance the speed of targeting.

  2. James Davenport:

    What we actually saw was the 60 Starlink satellites that had just been deployed this afternoon and they were still in low orbit, and they were still clustered together so we call this, like, the Starlink train,’ you see, like, a little chain of satellites all close together, reflecting sunlight back at us.

  3. Trevor Hollingsbee:

    The advance of technology means the lines are blurring between civilian and military satellites, in some cases, the imagery from a modern civilian satellite is good enough for military use.

  4. Daniel Ceperley:

    Multiple times a week we're seeing dead satellites come within 100 meters of each other, moving at tremendous speeds.

  5. Charles Darwin:

    We can allow satellites, planets, suns, universe, nay whole systems of universes, to be governed by laws, but the smallest insect, we wish to be created at once by special act.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

satellites#10000#13299#100000

Translations for satellites

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"satellites." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/satellites>.

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