Ian
priscilla 1Satellites Orbiting Earth
February 17th 2010 01:47
The first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. By 2010 thousands of satellites had been launched into orbit around the Earth. These originate from more than 50 countries and have used the satellite launching capabilities of ten nations. A few hundred satellites are currently operational, whereas thousands of unused satellites and satellite fragments orbit the Earth as space debris.
Satellites are used for a large number of purposes. Common types include military (spy) and civilian Earth observation satellites, communication satellites, navigation satellites, weather satellites, and research satellites. Satellite orbits vary greatly, depending on the purpose of the satellite, and are classified in a number of ways. Well-known (overlapping) classes include low Earth orbit, polar orbit, and geostationary orbit.
The infographic below details the satellites orbiting Earth and their country of origin.
*This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia page for Satellite.
*Image source.
Satellites are used for a large number of purposes. Common types include military (spy) and civilian Earth observation satellites, communication satellites, navigation satellites, weather satellites, and research satellites. Satellite orbits vary greatly, depending on the purpose of the satellite, and are classified in a number of ways. Well-known (overlapping) classes include low Earth orbit, polar orbit, and geostationary orbit.
The infographic below details the satellites orbiting Earth and their country of origin.
Click to enlarge in a new window
*This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia page for Satellite.
*Image source.
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