Is There a Satellite Inside?
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introduce them to commercial space and satellite as part of STEM education.
On a clear, dark night, the sky above your head is filled with stars. You know what they are: blazing suns like the one in our daytime sky, but so far away that they are just tiny points of light.
What else is hidden up there? There are planets and asteroids and comets. But much closer to Earth, there are hundreds of things hiding in plain site.
They are satellites. We have been putting them into orbit around Earth for more than half a century, and we will be launching thousands more in years to come.
Where Can You Find Satellites?
You know what? Every day, you put satellites to work – at home, at school and on the road – and you don’t even know it.
1. For instance, do you think your mobile phone might have a satellite inside?
It does. Every phone includes a tiny chip that communicates with satellites to pinpoint your location and help you find your way around.
2. How about a show you watch on TV?
Most shows, sports and news on television have traveled across communication satellites on their way to the screen.
3. What about video games?
Actually, no. Satellites are powerful, but they can’t yet keep up with the speed of a gamer on the hunt.
4. What about those sneakers on your feet? Could there be a satellite inside them?
Kind of. Sneakers cross the world from factories to stores on giant container ships, and satellites help them get where they’re going and keep in touch on the way.
5. How about a loaf of bread? If you cut into it, will you find a satellite?
Satellites are a big part of farming. Farmers use pictures from space to decide about irrigation and fertilizer. Satellite navigation steers farm machinery across their fields.
6. Weather forecasts let you know what you need to wear today: shorts, a heavy jacket or maybe a raincoat. Is there a satellite inside?
Weather forecasters around the world use satellite pictures and data to predict temperature and rainfall, clear skies or storms.
7. How about just hanging out? Is there a satellite hiding there, too?
Nah – that just takes some good friends.
Every day, most of the things you do have a little bit of satellite inside. Every day, thousands of people working in space and satellite are making your day better. And maybe, someday, you will be one of them.
Founded in late 2001, Hunter Communications, Inc. is an independent satellite communications (“SATCOM”) provider that fosters long-term relationships between clients and providers, offering solutions for short or over-supply bandwidth procurement, efficient engineered technical designs, and on-going technical support.
Smaller sized firms as well as many of the industry’s largest have come to Hunter to resolve their unique satellite requirements. On a daily basis all Hunter team members negotiate, analyze and search for capacity opportunities that may give Hunter clients an advantage in the marketplace. huntercomm.net