Satellites and Their Uses
Artificial satellites orbit Earth to provide communication, navigation, weather forecasts and images of the planet.
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Play with the controls to see the idea in action.
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Artificial satellites orbit Earth to provide communication, navigation, weather forecasts and images of the planet.
- GPS uses a network of satellites
- Weather satellites track storms
- Telescopes in space see clearly
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Satellites and Their Uses?
Within Earth & Environmental Science, which covers our planet, its resources and ecosystems, and how people can protect the environment, this topic explains Satellites and Their Uses. Earth and environment topics show how the planet’s systems shape landscapes, climate and life, with models that make these processes visible.
Check that you can explain Satellites and Their Uses in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Satellites and Their Uses helps you explain the environment around you and weigh up how people can protect it.
Satellites and Their Uses in detail
A satellite is an object that orbits a larger one. Natural satellites include the Moon, and artificial satellites are launched by rockets. Uses include communication (television, phone and internet), navigation (GPS), weather forecasting, Earth observation (mapping, monitoring forests, ice and pollution), science (telescopes) and military.
Orbits vary: geostationary satellites orbit about 36,000 km above the equator, staying above the same point, while low Earth orbit satellites are a few hundred kilometres up and circle in about 90 minutes. Satellites help to monitor climate change and disasters. Thousands of satellites and pieces of debris create a risk of collisions.
How the interactive helps you understand Satellites and Their Uses
Watch the orbit in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the orbit responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Satellites and Their Uses.
Real-life uses and examples
- Use a diagram of Satellites and Their Uses to describe the steps of a process in order.
- Discuss how human activity changes Satellites and Their Uses, using a named example.
- Explain how Satellites and Their Uses affects the landscape or climate near you.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Describing a process without the timescale it works over.
- Presenting one cause as the only cause of an environmental change.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Satellites and Their Uses
What is Satellites and Their Uses?
Artificial satellites orbit Earth to provide communication, navigation, weather forecasts and images of the planet.
What are the most important points about Satellites and Their Uses?
The main points are: GPS uses a network of satellites; Weather satellites track storms; Telescopes in space see clearly.
Why is Satellites and Their Uses useful?
Understanding Satellites and Their Uses helps you explain the environment around you and weigh up how people can protect it.
How can I practise Satellites and Their Uses?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Satellites and Their Uses?
Related topics in Earth & Environmental Science include The Rock Cycle, Soil Formation, Earthquakes and Seismology.