Orbits around the Earth

Any object in orbit around the Earth or another celestial body is called a satellite. The moon, for example, is a satellite, and so are tons of asteroids and manmade space litter that orbit around the earth. These pages are about useful manmade satellites.

Satellites that are launched and carefully placed in orbits provide communications services, including TV, telephone and Internet, they permit accurate weather forecasts and support navigation. We also use satellites for scientific studies of the Earth, the sun and the solar system.

In less than half a century, manmade satellites have become indispensable.