Satellites Section 8 11 Satellites 1 natural satellite

Satellites Section 8. 11

Satellites • • 1 natural satellite – the Moon 1000 s of artificial satellites – More than 40 countries have put more than 3000 satellites into orbit! – Orbit outside the Earth’s atmosphere at altitudes of 200 km to 35 000 km! • Human occupied: – Space shuttle – International Space Station (is 350 km from Earth and takes 90 min to orbit Earth)

Canada’s Role • World leader in the last 50 years in developing satellite technology • Have built very powerful telecommunication and Earth observation satellites

Staying in Orbit • The force of the Earth’s gravity constantly pulls the satellite towards Earth • The forward motion of the satellite and the curvature of Earth prevents it from falling into the atmosphere

Types of Orbits • Low Earth Orbit Satellites: – Altitudes up to 2000 km – Human occupied & Earth observation • Medium Earth Orbit Satellites: – Altitudes up to 35 000 km – GPS satellites • Geostationary Orbit Satellites: – Its path is directly over the equator with a period equal to the period of the Earth’s rotation. – Appear motionless in the sky – Used to broadcast TV and radio

Today’s Tasks • Pg. 351 #1 -6, 9 • Read Mysteries Beyond the Planets (Pg. 353) and summarize the article in one paragraph.