Facts about numbers of satellites in orbit

FACT Number of satellites First rockets that entered outer space Number of manmade objects orbiting the Earth In excess of 10 000 DETAILS Over 2 500 in orbit around the Earth The German V2 rocket in mid 1940s

Facts about satellite firsts

FACT First fictional depiction of satellite DETAILS The first mention of the idea of a satellite in a fictionals tory occurred in a short story by Edward Everett Hale, The Brick Moon. This story appeared in a publications entitled" The Atlantic Monthly". The serialisation started in 1869 First treatise on the use of satellites The idea of a satellite was first postulated Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (1857-1935). In 1903 he published an academic paper entitled: " Means of Reaction Devices." In this he proposed the idea of a multistage rocket using liquid hydrogen and oxygen being used to launch the satellite into orbit as well as calculating the orbital speed required to maintain orbit as 8 km/s. First concept of a space station This occurred in 1928 when the Slovenian scientist, Herman Potocnik (1892-1929) published a book entitled: "The Problem of Space Travel - The Rocket Motor." In this he devised a scheme for establishing a permanent human presence in space. He developed the concept for the space station in some detail and calculated its geostationary orbit. He then went on to describe the use of orbiting spacecraft for observation of theground for both commercial and military applications. First detailed concept of geostationary communications satellites This appeared in an article in 1945 in a British magazine entitled Wireless World. Although written by the famous English science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008) it postulated the concept of communications satellites to be used for mass communications. Clarke investigated many aspects of the system from the satellite launch, possible orbits and other aspects of the creation of a network of world-circling satellites. He also correctly suggested that just three geostationary satellites would provide coverage over the

FACT

DETAILS entire planet. Unfortunately he did not realise quite how much the system would be used, and that many more satellites would be required to cater for the huge volume of data.

First satellites

Sputnik 1 was launched by the Soviet Union on 4th October 1957. It was a football sized globe that transmitted a "beep beep" sound as it orbited the Earth. The word Sputnik means satellite. It continued transmitting for about 21 days.

Second satellite First passive reflector satellite

Explorer 1 launched 31st January 1958 by USA. Echo 1 - launched by the USA on 12 August 1960. It was used as a large reflector for radio signals, and was also plainly visible from Earth to the naked eye

First active repeater communications satellite First direct relay communications satellite First communications satellite in geostationary orbit

Courier 1B - this was launched on 4 October 1960. It was also the first satellite powered by solar cells that were used to re-charge batteries used to power the system when behind the earth. Telstar 1 - launched on 10 July 1962, it carried the first transatlantic live television pictures via satellite. It was also used for telephone and high speed data communications. Syncom 2. This was launched on 19 August 1964. It carried the first Olympic broadcasts to international audiences via satellite. These Olympics were held in Tokyo.

Read more about Communications satellites

Telstar 1 Lift-Off in 1962 Image courtesy NASA

Facts about satellite orbits

FACT DETAILS

FACT Geostationary orbit

DETAILS An orbit in which the satellite has the same angular velocity as the Earth so it appears above the same position above the Earth at all times. These orbits can only be directly above the equator.

Geostationary orbit altitude Geostationary orbital velocity Geostationary orbital period Geostationary orbit distance Low Earth Orbit, LEO altitude range Medium Earth Orbit, MEO altitude range High Earth Orbit, HEO altitudes

Approximately 35 786 km, 22 236 mile

Approximately 3.07 km/s, 1.91 miles/s

1 sidereal day, 23.934461223 hours, 23 hours 56 minutes and 4 seconds, 1 436 minutes 4 seconds. The distance around the path of a complete geostationary orbit is approximately 265 000 km or 165 000 miles 200 - 1200 km

1200 - 35790 km

Above 35790 km

Read more about Satellite orbits

Facts about the satellite navigation

FACT Most widely used SatNav GPS official Name GPS operator Navstar constellation Navstar satellite expected life-time Navstar typical size Dependent upon the satellite series and build date, but typically 17 feet across with antennas extended Navstar typical weight Navstar transmit power Dependent upon the satellite series and build date, but can be around 1860 pounds. ~ 50 watts Navstar US Department of Defense 24 satellites + orbiting spares 10 years GPS - Global Position System DETAILS

FACT Navstar solar panel capability Navstar orbits

DETAILS Solar panels generate about 700 watts of electricity

The satellites are in one of six orbits. These are in planes that are inclined at approximately 55 degrees to the equatorial plane and there are four satellites in each orbit. The orbits that are roughly 20200 km above the surface of the Earth.

Navstar satellite speed Navstar orbit time

Approximately 14000 km / hour, 8500 mph

Approximately 12 hours

Read more about Global Positioning System, GPS

Direct broadcast satellite facts

FACT Name DETAILS Although commonly called Direct Broadcast Satellite, DBS, it is officially known by the International Telecommunication Union, ITU, as Broadcasting Satellite Service, or BS. It is a direct to home, DTH service Frequency bands

ITU Region 1 (Europe, Russia, Asia): GHz

10.7 - 12.75 12.2 - 12.7

ITU Region 2 (North & South America): GHz ITU Region 3 (Asia, Australasia):

11.7 - 12.2 GHz

By Ian Poole

Re-Entering Space Debris: Number of people struck by re-entering debris:[1] One. In January 1997, Lottie Williams of Tulsa, Oklahoma was struck on the shoulder by a piece of the fuel tank of a Delta II rocket while walking. She was not injured. Size of biggest piece of recovered re-entered space debris[2]: A 5-6 m2 (54-65 ft2) flat plate weighing 20 kg (44 pounds). Mass of heaviest piece of recovered debris[3]: 290 kg (649 lbs). Average number of pieces of tracked debris falling back to Earth on a typical day[4]: 1.

Average number of heavy tracked objects (satellites and rocket bodies) falling back to Earth per year[5]: 100 Number of tracked objects re-entering the Earths atmosphere in 1989, the year with the most re-entries: Over 1000. Amount of money the San Francisco Chronicle offered in 1979 if a subscriber suffered personal or property damage from the re-entering Skylab satellite: $200,000 Number of pieces of re-entered debris featured in a Miss Universe pageant[6]: One. Speed of Satellites: Time required for Phileas Fogg to circumnavigate the globe by balloon: [1] 80 days Time required for first non-stop balloon circumnavigation: [2] 19.1 days Time required for first non-stop circumnavigation by aircraft: [3] 3.9 days Time for a satellite in low-earth orbit to circumnavigate the earth: [4] 1.5 hours Time for a satellite in geo-synchronous orbit to circumnavigate the earth: [5] 24 hours Ratio of the speed of a satellite in low earth orbit to the speed of a passenger jet: 30 to 1

Database Trivia: (All data derived from 11-1-10 UCS Satellite Database) The current U.S. share of active satellites: 46%.

Number of satellites launched in the 1970s that are still active: Two. Percent of communications satellites that are in geostationary orbits: Over 60. Number of countries that have communications satellites in geostationary orbits. Over 30. Percentage of communications satellites in GEO owned by the United States: 40. Percentage of communications satellites in LEO owned by the United States: 80. Number of satellites currently in orbit whose primary purpose is amateur radio communications. Three.

Communication satellites: Year of first prototype communication satellite[1] 1958 Year of first operational communication satellite:[2] 1962 Subject of first transatlantic live television images to be transmitted by satellite (1962):[3] Part of a baseball game between the Phillies and the Cubs Year of first geosynchronous satellite:[4] 1963 Number of simultaneous two-way telephone conversations the first GEO communications satellite could handle:[5] 1 First Olympics to broadcast pictures by GEO satellite:[6] 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo Mass of the first GEO satellite:[7] 85 lbs (39 kg) Typical mass of a modern GEO communication satellite:[8] 8,000 lb (3,500 kg) Fraction of all current active satellites used for communication:[9] 60%

Risks of Space Racing: Success rate in tests of the Soviet rocket used to launch Yuri Gagarin into space at the time of his first orbital flight:[1] 50% Success rate in tests of the retro rockets needed for reentry of the space capsule at time of Gagarins launch:[2] 60% Probability of success of Gagarins flight based on these two systems: 30% Number of people launched to space who did not return successfully:[3] 18 Number of people who died while in orbit: 0

Women in space: (as of May 1, 2009)

Time between first man in orbit and first woman in orbit:[1] 2 years

Time between first woman in orbit and second woman in orbit:[2] 19 years

Time between first woman in orbit and first US woman in orbit:[3] 21 years

Primary qualification of Valentina Tereskova, the first woman in space, to become a cosmonaut:[4] She was a member of a parachute club Number of additional female cosmonauts following its first two in 1963 and 1983:[5] 1

Total number of women who have been in orbit:[6] 49 Fraction of all trips to space by women by all countries: 10.6%

Country with the highest fraction of space flights by women:[7] Canada (33%)

Space Demographics:[1] (as of May 1, 2009)

Number of person-years spent in space: 90.6 (0.91 person-century) Number of different individuals launched to orbit: 500 Number of countries represented by those individuals: 36

Number of human-flights into orbit:[2] 1096 Fraction of those flights by women: 10.6% Number of human-flights by U.S. astronauts: 773 Fraction by women: 13.6% Number of human-flights by Soviet/Russian cosmonauts: 213

Fraction by women: 2.3% Most human-flights by people of other nationalities: France (17), Germany (14), Canada (13), Japan (12) Length of first orbital flight (by Gagarin): 1 hour 48 minutes (1 orbit)

Longest single stay in orbit: 1.2 years [3] Longest total duration in orbit for one person: 2.2 years [4] -----------------------------

Rapid progress in satellite development:

Date of launch of the first satellite to be placed in orbit, Sputnik 1: October 4, 1957[1]

Time between Sputnik 1 and first animal launched into orbit: 1 month[2]

Time between Sputnik 1 and first prototype communication satellite: 1.2 years[3]

Time between Sputnik 1 and first weather satellite: 1.4 years[4]

Time between Sputnik 1 and launch of first object to reach the moon: 1.9 years[5]

Time between Sputnik 1 and first animal to successfully return from orbit: 2.8 years[6]

Time between Sputnik 1 and first human launched into orbit (Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin): 3.5 years[7]

Time between first flight by Wright Brothers to first non-stop transatlantic airplane flight: 16 years[8]

Time between first person in orbit to first person on the moon: 8 years[9]