Satellite
An object in an orbit around a planet. It can be either natural, for example a moon, or it can be artificial, for example a space probe.
Historical Notes
- 1610 Jupiter's satellites discovered by Galileo.
- 4 October 1957 Sputnik becomes the first man-made object to orbit the Earth.
- 4 January 1958 Sputnik 1 fell back to earth.
- 31 January 1958 USA launches its first artificial satellite.
- 10 July 1962 Telstar was launched from Cape Canaveral and became the first active, direct relay communications satellite.
- 1982 First launch of communications satellites into orbit by space shuttle.
- 1984 First retrieval of malfunctioning satellites, repair and relaunch by space shuttle.
See also: Active Satellite, Artificial Satellite, Passive Satellite, Polar Orbiting Satellite, Satellite Eclipse, Satellite Sun Conjunction.
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