Satelite and Its Uses

Relaying Messages by a Satelite

A satelite is any object that orbits or revolves around another object. A man-made satelite orbit the earth and the sun. All satellites have two common parts - the payload and the bus. The payload refers to all the equipment like antennas, cameras, radar and electronics required by the satellite to do its job. The bus carries the payload and all its equipment into space. The bus provides electrical power, computers and propulsion to the spacecraft, it holds all the satellite parts together and its equipment allows the satellite to communicate with the earth.

Echostar 3, a communications satelite, sends TV signals to homes in North America. These satellites act as relay stations in space. They relay messages like telephone calls, TV pictures or internet connections from one part of the world to the other. Communications satellites like Echostar always stay over one spot on the earth. The area on earth that it can “see” is called the satellites “footprint”.

A satelite is a complex machine. Satellites are used widely in weather reports, television transmissions by DirectTV and the Dish Network and everyday telephone calls. Satellites help to speed up local distribution of newspaper and magazines, cable transmission distribution, the satellite based GPS (Global Positioning System) used by taxi and limousine drivers to take us to our destination. Satellites relay emergency radio signals to search and rescue teams to rescue a downed aircraft or distressed ship.