### equipment | satellite:

Communication satellite
* Most communication satellites contain well over a hundred filters in their payload.
* are microwave relay stations in the sky
  - platforms that house radio receivers and their antenna
* carry the bulk of regional and national television broadcasts.
* use horizon sensors to align themselves properly.

### equipment | satellite:

Communications satellite
* Most communications satellites are in such orbits
  - operate from a circular orbit around the equator
* are a vital part of global commerce
  - essentially radio relay stations in space
  - part of communication systems
* can reach any point of the globe ignoring all frontiers.
* carry television, telephone calls, and even Internet data.
* link all the world into an electronic neighborhood.
* orbiting above the earth transmit information in the form of microwaves.
* provide a worldwide linkup of radio, telephone, and television.
* transmit TV or telephone signals to Earth.

Geosynchronous satellite
* are high enough to be outside of the Earth's shadow
  - too high to watch in the same manner as low-orbit satellites
* can flare when they approach opposition.
* remain in a constant position over the earth.

Military satellite
* cover a broad range in terms of function and orbit.
* record the flashes of their explosions in the upper atmosphere.
* travel in very low orbits.

Modern satellite
* Most modern satellites use several spot beams.
* are active reapeaters because they also amplify the signal they receive.
* make it possible to determine the elevation of any remote peak on Earth.
* provide a way to distinguish ash from water.

Polar satellite
* Many polar satellites occupy low orbits so are visible and travel north-south.
* provide detail information
* provide more detail information

### equipment | satellite:

Satellite imagery
* consists of digital images of the Earth's surface from space.
* gives a global perspective on the ozone hole.
* has a generally lower resolution compared to aerial photography.
* is an example of passive remote sensing
  - important element in collecting remote sensing data
  - helpful in monitoring sea ice extent and temperature
* is used as an analysis tool and also in forecasting tropical cyclone intensity
  - to study circulation patterns within the Gulf of Mexico
* shows buoyant plumes respond, on the scale of hours, to changes in winds.
* shows that fronts are a major feature in temperature-salinity distribution
  - there is frozen ground water on the planet
+ Colonization of Mars: Mars :: Space colonization
  * The 'colonization of Mars' by humans is an ongoing debate among scientists. They want to colonize the planet Mars. Satellite imagery shows that there is frozen ground water on the planet. That makes Mars the best choice for a thriving colony off the Earth. The Moon has been proposed as the first location for human colonization. However, Mars has a thin atmosphere. Because of this, it has potential to host humans and other organic life.

Satellite tracking
* allows researchers to get detailed location data on a global scale.
* is used to monitor response vehicles, making deployment more efficient.

Space satellite
* can track migration patterns of Canada geese outfitted with radio transmitters.
* provide navigation, precision guidance, communications and related capabilities.

Space station
* Most space stations consist of modules.
* Some space stations create artificial gravity
  - reflect sunlight
* are large orbiting satellites that stay in space for years at a time.
* are located in orbits
  - main trading and scientific centers of the galaxy
* remain in orbit for years at a time.