Energy & Green Tech
NASA's long-term, global view of Earth from space includes data on sunlight, wind, temperature and precipitation, all key elements in understanding how our planet works. That same, information is also being put to very practical ...
Apr 21, 2020
0
4
Software
A free app that helps people observe social distancing to slow the spread of coronavirus is about to launch.
Apr 20, 2020
1
11
Engineering
Satellite imagery is a crucial aspect of modern life. For instance, crop growth and yield estimates are partially derived from satellite imagery; likewise, air quality, deforestation, and, of course, the weather. Satellite ...
Apr 20, 2020
0
8
Energy & Green Tech
In 2019, the global population without access to electricity dipped below 1 billion for the first time. This progress has however been uneven, both across and within different regions. A new IIASA study shows that to ensure ...
Apr 17, 2020
5
4
Internet
Academics from Heriot-Watt University have developed an antenna which, it is believed, will end the frustrations of billions of passengers each year who lose internet connectivity on journeys globally.
Feb 28, 2020
0
2
Engineering
Many satellites are in space to take photos. But a vibrating satellite, like a camera in shaky hands, can't get a sharp image. Pointing it at a precise location to take a photo or perform another task, is another important ...
Feb 26, 2020
0
46
Machine learning & AI
A model invented by researchers at MIT and Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) that uses satellite imagery to tag road features in digital maps could help improve GPS navigation.
Jan 23, 2020
0
79
Computer Sciences
Textbook descriptions of brain cells make neurons look simple: a long spine-like central axon with branching dendrites. Taken individually, these might be easy to identify and map, but in an actual brain, they're more like ...
Jan 8, 2020
1
6
Internet
For some years now, the Internet of Things (IoT) has been a constantly evolving reality. The possibility that machines (nodes) can communicate with each other has paved the way for applications that promise to have a profound ...
Dec 19, 2019
0
13
Internet
A new generation of low-flying satellites promises an "internet from space," that will be able to cover even remote regions around the world. Computer scientists at ETH Zurich are proposing a novel network design that could ...
Dec 11, 2019
0
16
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavor. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon.
The first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. By 2009 thousands of satellites have 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. A few space probes have been placed into orbit around other bodies and become artificial satellites to the Moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
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. Space stations and human spacecraft in orbit are also 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.
Satellites are usually semi-independent computer controlled systems. Satellite subsystems attend many tasks, such as power generation, thermal control, telemetry, attitude control and orbit control.
This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA
