Satellite Applications
Satellite has been widely use through the world for following applications. Satellite has many applications which include satellite television,satellite radio,satellite phone, satellite maps live,Surveillance,navigation,satellite weather,satellite images etc. Few of these applications are summarized below.
Satellite for Surveillance
Satellite is used as surveillance or as observation of many of the earth's resources/surroundings as listed below. For this purpose special cameras are designed and deployed on board with satellite. These cameras take pictures and relays the same back to the Earth. Also special sensors such as infrared sensors are deployed to detect heat sourses. For example, Meteorological or whether satellites can take photograph of the clouds, Geodetic satellites take photograph of the earth etc. There are satellites who monitor land and oceans and help determine crops,lakes,forests etc.
Satellite for Navigation
One of the most useful satellite application is navigation,called as GPS (Global Positioning System). Let us see how this GPS system works. The GPS system comprises of 24 LEOS spaced around the world. Each satellite transmits a unique signal back to the earth on low microwave frequencies (1.57542 and 1.2276 GHz). Receivers on the earth pick up 4 such transmissions from the satellites at the same time. This helps determine exact position of the receiver which displays latitude,longitude,altitude of the receiver.
GPS tutorial
To know more on GPS System basics,GPS applications refer GPS basics tutorial.
Satellite for Television distribution
Coaxial cables and microwave relay links are used for relaying TV signals from one place to the other. With the help of communication satellites, TV signals are relayed very easily to the home with the help of Dish Antenna. The satellites transmit Digitally Encoded TV signals using Ku band. Consumers only need to buy satellite receiver or set top box along with parabolic Dish antenna to connect with standard TV set.
Satellite Phone
The example of satellite phone is the Iridium system,comprising 66 satellites revolving 420 miles above the earth. This satellites directly communicate with the handheld cell phones anywhere on the region of the earth. This LEOS(Low Earth Orbiting Satellites) uses L band and digital technology for voice/data communications.