Generally speaking, a satellite is any small object orbiting about a larger object in space. In everyday use, the word “satellite” refers to artificial objects launched into orbit around the Earth or other worlds in the Solar System.
A satellite’s orbit is a balance between its speed and the planet’s gravitational pull. Low-orbiting satellites circle the Earth several times a day. A geostationary satellite seems to hover in the sky because its orbit takes the same 24 hours as Earth’s rotation.
NanoAvionics MP42 satellite bus taking a selfie video in space
Sputnik became Earth’s first artificial satellite in 1957. Since then, satellites from nearly 100 countries have circled the planet. But this is not a story of the Space Race. Three-quarters of these countries reached orbit after the Cold War ended. Space has become more accessible thanks to the rise of Small Satellites.
