Questions tagged [artificial-satellite]
Questions about objects in orbit which are human made, such as communications and GPS satellites, orbital observatories and space stations, and other man-made object in permanent or semi-permanent orbits around the Earth, other celestial objects, aside from the Sun, or even other satellites. Not to be confused with non-orbited man-made objects in space, that are usually referred to as "probes", or simply "spacecraft".
888 questions
79votes
3answers
57kviews
Was the NOAA-N Prime satellite really dropped on the floor?
Recently, Donald.McLean posted this image in The Pod Bay, the site chat room: It's a rather disturbing image once you think about it for more than about half a second. Did it really happen? What ...
user12
52votes
1answer
5kviews
Are there any satellites in geosynchronous but not geostationary orbits?
I know there are a lot of geostationary satellites out there, but I'm wondering - are there any geosynchronous satellites that are not geostationary (ie - have a notable inclination to their orbit)?
- 663
52votes
3answers
4kviews
In what state are satellites left in when they are left in a graveyard orbit?
I had this idea for a fictional scenario in which a forgotten satellite, like a communications satellite that was decommissioned because it was replaced by a newer model, was hacked into and then ...
- 4,287
47votes
8answers
13kviews
What would be the (most difficult) challenge to make a 10,000 year satellite?
Update: Bezos' recent Tweeted update on the 10,000 year clock. Also see The Verge's Construction begins on Jeff Bezos’ $42 million 10,000-year clock The discussions associated with the question Can an ...
- 153k
45votes
7answers
20kviews
Why do artificial satellites need orbit correction, but natural ones don't?
No matter how much you fine-tune a satellite's orbit up front, it needs periodic adjustments. It's usually done through tiny rocket bursts. The system and fuel to do that costs money and weight, and, ...
43votes
3answers
29kviews
Why are the GPS constellation satellites in such a high orbit?
Most satellites are in Low Earth Orbit. Some other satellites are in Geostationary Orbit because their function requires it. The GPS (and other GNSS, e.g. GLONASS) satellites are in a much higher ...
- 2,750
43votes
2answers
5kviews
Would we be able to detect an extraterrestrial "Voyager" if it came near us?
Attached to the Voyager probes are the golden records, which are essentially messages-in-a-bottle sent out into the vast sea of interstellar space, containing, of course, the "message of humanity". ...
42votes
6answers
59kviews
How does GPS receiver synchronize time with GPS satellites?
GPS satellites transmit time values regularly, but if we put in consideration the time delay between the satellite and the receiver, the time value received wouldn't be accurate insofar as I know GPS ...
- 593
41votes
6answers
22kviews
Does a satellite naturally turn in phase with its orbit, always facing Earth?
Assume you want a satellite to constantly point its radio dish towards Earth while orbiting it, or its solar panels towards the Sun if it is instead orbiting it. Is any of the following true about ...
- 27.1k
38votes
2answers
5kviews
Is it possible to observe space debris with Binoculars?
Recently I've started to observe satellites with my 20x80 Binoculars. I'm amazed by the fact I can clearly track satellites and rocket bodies at 2000 km altitude (I've reached 8 mag with some objects) ...
- 2,601
36votes
3answers
4kviews
Have any satellites been lost or damaged on their way to the launch site (ground/sea transport)?
On our sister site Travel Stack Exchange, someone asked about carrying a cubesat on a plane in hand luggage and is worried about damage or loss (or not being allowed on the plane). Several answers ...
- 12k
36votes
5answers
14kviews
Is photography from a satellite good enough to make out a person on the ground?
When I first saw Google Maps satellite view many years ago, I remember being greatly impressed (and somewhat surprised) with the image quality, considering the photographs came from up there in space. ...
- 465
34votes
1answer
6kviews
Why were early Soviet spacecraft spherical?
Sputnik's ball shape is instantly recognizable to most of us: I was looking at the Wikipedia page for Luna 1, and saw it was also a ball-shaped spacecraft: Why do these spacecraft have a spherical ...
- 2,750
33votes
7answers
5kviews
Is it possible to see animals from space?
Will satellite imagery be able to see the backs of big animals such as lions, tigers, elephants, horses or zebras from space when they venture out in the open? I've not been able to find satellite ...
- 435
33votes
4answers
12kviews
What would one need to do to get an amateur satellite into orbit?
I've recently become interested in amateur satellite packet radio, and I've seen that the bandwidth and thus the bitrate is extremely low on most amateur satellites, not even factoring in noise. So I ...
- 575
