Ever wondered about the marvels orbiting our Earth far beyond the skies we see? Satellites, those sophisticated instruments soaring through the expanse of space, are pivotal in shaping our understanding of the universe, enhancing communication, and monitoring our planet. In this article, we’ll launch into an orbit of knowledge, unveiling ten fascinating facts about satellites that are as intriguing as they are impactful. From their revolutionary history and technological marvels to their unexpected roles and contributions across various fields, these facts promise to elevate your appreciation for these celestial sentinels. Join us as we explore the high-flying world of satellites and discover the extraordinary ways they continue to connect and protect our world as well as some pictures of satellite dishes that are more like works of art to enjoy along the way…
10 – The cow channel never looked so good!
FACT: Satellites have to travel at 18,000+ mph to counteract the pull of the Earth, That means that each and every satellite circumference of the Earth 14 times!
9 – Urban Fields of Sun Flowers
FACT: Due to the weightlessness in space a satellite gets 3.1 times better fuel economy than a Prius! Even if you reverse this and put the Prius in space it would not match the satellites fuel economy due to its shape and weight.
8 – Digital art cat stickers for satellite dishes
FACT: If all of the data that satellites collected in a single year was put onto a blu-ray disc it would be a stack of discs over 500ft tall!
7 – Cloaking device activated
FACT: There really isn’t room to swing a cat up there, as there are over 2,500 satellites in orbit around the Earth and any one time and that number are growing!
6 – It doesn’t take much to make people smile.
FACT: There are 3 satellites around the world at any given moment that can take instant pictures of a world event down to just 100ft above the ground! Scary indeed.
5 – “That is ‘MR’ dish to you!”
FACT: Despite what most people think defence and intelligence satellites make up just 16% of all satellites in orbit, all the rest is environmental, economic, entertainment and humanitarian sectored satellites.
4 – The scenery channel.
FACT: Most of us should know this one, but it was Russia who placed the first man-made object in orbit around the Earth and it was called Sputnik!
3 – If you can’t paint on them, paint around them!
FACT: Satcom 1 was the first satellite TV system launched way back in 1975, but it wasn’t until 1977 that the first satellite TV broadcast was ever seen!
2 – The Montana Masterpiece.
FACT: The range that satellites can live it is quite vast! In fact, the nearest to Earth satellite is just 150 miles and the furthest is 22,500 miles away!
1 – It doesn’t take much to make the world a better place.
FACT: NASA estimates on average one piece from an old rocket, spaceship or satellite returns to Earth each day! But only 8% of them hit land. Still scary if it was just 1% if you ask me.