Satellites are used for many purposes. Common types include military and civilian Earth observation satellites, communications satellites, navigation satellites, weather satellites, and space telescopes. 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.
A launch vehicle is a rocket that throws a satellite into orbit. Usually it lifts off from a launch pad on land. Some are launched at sea from a submarine or a mobile maritime platform, or aboard a plane (see air launch to orbit).
Details
- Publication Date
- Oct 22, 2017
- Language
- English
- ISBN
- 9781387314324
- Category
- Science & Medicine
- Copyright
- All Rights Reserved - Standard Copyright License
- Contributors
- By (author): Karam Moore
Specifications
- Format