Satellites

A satellite is any object that:

• Transmits information

• Orbits the Earth

• Orbits another object

• Communicates with receivers on the ground

How can a viewer in California watch a live TV program broadcasted from Japan?

• The Japanese TV station beams the program directly to California

• A satellite over Japan beams the program directly to California

• The program is bounced from a satellite over Japan to a satellite over California

• The Japanese TV station beams the program to a satellite over California

How are most satellites powered?

• Hydroelectric energy

• Solar energy

• Fossil fuel energy

• Fuel cell technology

What is the relationship between rockets and satellites?

• Most rockets are satellites

• Most satellites are rocket-powered

• Satellites need on board rockets to stay in orbit

• Rockets deliver satellites into orbit

From the information presented in the movie, what can you infer about orbiting space stations?

• They are less than 2,000 km away from Earth's surface

• They are more difficult to reach than other orbiting objects

• They are further away from Earth's surface than the moon

• They will eventually float away into space

Which of the following is always true of satellites in geosynchronous orbit?

• They can track weather patterns over the entire globe

• They are in low-earth orbit

• Their orbital speed is the same as the speed of Earth's rotation

• They are cheaper to manufacture than other satellites

How can a solar-powered satellite function when it's not receiving direct sunlight?

• It stores energy in batteries, which it uses when it's not receiving sunlight

• It has a gasoline-powered generator onboard

• It must wait until it's back in the sunlight to transmit information

• It burns the gases found in the earth's atmosphere

What do satellites and cellular phones have in common?

• They were first invented during the 1980s

• They transmit information via radio waves

• They are solar-powered

• They are all owned by the US government

Satellites allow people around the world to communicate _____.

• Over the internet

• Via fiber optic network

• With astronauts

• Instantaneously

Which part of a local news broadcast most likely involves satellite technology?

• A report about a string of burglaries in your city

• An interview with the governor of your state

• The weather report

• A review of a new movie