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Answer: Artificial satellites are man-made objects sent into space to orbit the Earth or other planets. These satellites are not natural like the Moon, but are created by scientists and engineers for specific purposes such as communication, weather forecasting, navigation, military use, and space research.
Complete Answer:
Artificial satellites are built to serve many functions. They help in sending television signals, making phone calls, accessing the internet, studying the Earth’s atmosphere, predicting the weather, and guiding us through GPS. Some satellites are even used for military operations, observing pollution, tracking deforestation, and exploring outer space. Many of these satellites can perform multiple tasks at the same time.
The first artificial satellite ever launched was Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union in 1957. This was a major step in space exploration. Since then, many countries have sent thousands of satellites into space. Today, more than 3,000 active satellites are orbiting Earth. In addition, there are around 8,000 pieces of space junk, which include old and non-working satellites still moving around the planet.
Satellites are launched into different orbits based on what they are designed to do. One common orbit is called the geosynchronous orbit. In this orbit, a satellite takes 24 hours to complete one round around the Earth, which matches the Earth’s own rotation time. This helps the satellite stay in the same position over a particular place on Earth. Such satellites are mainly used for television broadcasting, communication, and internet services. Another type of orbit is the low Earth orbit, where the satellite stays a few hundred kilometres above the Earth. These satellites are outside the Earth’s atmosphere but still close enough to be used for fast communication, Earth observation, and scientific experiments.
Uses of Artificial Satellites
Artificial satellites are specially designed to survive in space, where there is strong radiation, high and low temperatures, and a vacuum with no air. The height at which a satellite orbits determines how long it will stay in space. Satellites placed in higher orbits can stay active for many years, and sometimes even millions of years.
Artificial satellites serve many important functions, including:
- Communication (TV, radio, internet, phone calls)
- Weather forecasting (monitoring storms, rainfall, etc.)
- Scientific research (studying Earth and outer space)
- Navigation (GPS and maps)
- Military support (spy satellites, defence communication)
- Earth observation (tracking pollution, deforestation, climate change)
- Some satellites are multi-purpose, meaning they perform more than one task at a time.
It is important to understand the difference between natural and artificial satellites. Natural satellites are formed by nature. For example, the Moon is a natural satellite of Earth. On the other hand, artificial satellites are man-made and are launched for specific goals like communication, weather study, or navigation.
In short, artificial satellites play a very important role in our daily lives. Whether we are using Google Maps, watching TV, making a phone call, or checking the weather, satellites are silently working in space to help us stay connected, informed, and safe.
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