Facts about numbers of satellites in orbit

FACT DETAILS
Number of satellites Over 2 500 in orbit around the Earth
First rockets that
entered outer space
The German V2 rocket in mid 1940s
Number of man-
made objects
orbiting the Earth
In excess of 10 000


Facts about satellite firsts

FACT DETAILS
First fictional
depiction of satellite
The first mention of the idea of a satellite in a fictionals tory
occurred in a short story by Edward Everett Hale, The Brick Moon.
This story appeared in a publications entitled" The Atlantic Monthly".
The serialisation started in 1869
First treatise on the
use of satellites
The idea of a satellite was first postulated Konstantin Tsiolkovsky
(1857-1935). In 1903 he published an academic paper entitled: "
Means of Reaction Devices." In this he proposed the idea of a multi-
stage rocket using liquid hydrogen and oxygen being used to launch
the satellite into orbit as well as calculating the orbital speed
required to maintain orbit as 8 km/s.
First concept of a
space station
This occurred in 1928 when the Slovenian scientist, Herman
Potocnik (1892-1929) published a book entitled: "The Problem of
Space Travel - The Rocket Motor." In this he devised a scheme for
establishing a permanent human presence in space. He developed
the concept for the space station in some detail and calculated its
geostationary orbit. He then went on to describe the use of orbiting
spacecraft for observation of theground for both commercial and
military applications.
First detailed
concept of
geostationary
communications
satellites
This appeared in an article in 1945 in a British magazine entitled
Wireless World. Although written by the famous English science
fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008) it postulated the concept
of communications satellites to be used for mass communications.
Clarke investigated many aspects of the system from the satellite
launch, possible orbits and other aspects of the creation of a
network of world-circling satellites. He also correctly suggested that
just three geostationary satellites would provide coverage over the
FACT DETAILS
entire planet. Unfortunately he did not realise quite how much the
system would be used, and that many more satellites would be
required to cater for the huge volume of data.
First satellites Sputnik 1 was launched by the Soviet Union on 4th October 1957. It
was a football sized globe that transmitted a "beep beep" sound as
it orbited the Earth. The word Sputnik means satellite. It continued
transmitting for about 21 days.
Second satellite Explorer 1 launched 31st January 1958 by USA.
First passive
reflector satellite
Echo 1 - launched by the USA on 12 August 1960. It was used as a
large reflector for radio signals, and was also plainly visible from
Earth to the naked eye
First active repeater
communications
satellite
Courier 1B - this was launched on 4 October 1960. It was also the
first satellite powered by solar cells that were used to re-charge
batteries used to power the system when behind the earth.
First direct relay
communications
satellite
Telstar 1 - launched on 10 July 1962, it carried the first
transatlantic live television pictures via satellite. It was also used for
telephone and high speed data communications.
First
communications
satellite in
geostationary orbit
Syncom 2. This was launched on 19 August 1964. It carried the first
Olympic broadcasts to international audiences via satellite. These
Olympics were held in Tokyo.
Read more about Communications satellites

Telstar 1 Lift-Off in 1962
Image courtesy NASA


Facts about satellite orbits

FACT DETAILS
FACT DETAILS
Geostationary orbit An orbit in which the satellite has the same angular velocity as the
Earth so it appears above the same position above the Earth at all
times. These orbits can only be directly above the equator.
Geostationary orbit
altitude
Approximately 35 786 km, 22 236 mile
Geostationary orbital
velocity
Approximately 3.07 km/s, 1.91 miles/s
Geostationary orbital
period
1 sidereal day, 23.934461223 hours, 23 hours 56 minutes and 4
seconds, 1 436 minutes 4 seconds.
Geostationary orbit
distance
The distance around the path of a complete geostationary orbit is
approximately 265 000 km or 165 000 miles
Low Earth Orbit, LEO
altitude range
200 - 1200 km
Medium Earth Orbit,
MEO altitude range
1200 - 35790 km
High Earth Orbit,
HEO altitudes
Above 35790 km
Read more about Satellite orbits


Facts about the satellite navigation

FACT DETAILS
Most widely used
SatNav
GPS - Global Position System
GPS official Name Navstar
GPS operator US Department of Defense
Navstar constellation 24 satellites + orbiting spares
Navstar satellite
expected life-time
10 years
Navstar typical size Dependent upon the satellite series and build date, but typically 17
feet across with antennas extended
Navstar typical
weight
Dependent upon the satellite series and build date, but can be
around 1860 pounds.
Navstar transmit
power
~ 50 watts
FACT DETAILS
Navstar solar panel
capability
Solar panels generate about 700 watts of electricity
Navstar orbits The satellites are in one of six orbits. These are in planes that are
inclined at approximately 55 degrees to the equatorial plane and
there are four satellites in each orbit. The orbits that are roughly
20200 km above the surface of the Earth.
Navstar satellite
speed
Approximately 14000 km / hour, 8500 mph
Navstar orbit time Approximately 12 hours
Read more about Global Positioning System, GPS


Direct broadcast satellite facts

FACT DETAILS
Name Although commonly called Direct Broadcast Satellite, DBS, it is
officially known by the International Telecommunication Union, ITU,
as Broadcasting Satellite Service, or BS. It is a direct to home, DTH
service
Frequency bands ITU Region 1 (Europe, Russia, Asia): 10.7 - 12.75
GHz
ITU Region 2 (North & South America): 12.2 - 12.7
GHz
ITU Region 3 (Asia, Australasia): 11.7 - 12.2 GHz
By Ian Poole





Re-Entering Space Debris:
Number of people struck by re-entering debris:[1]
One. In January 1997, Lottie Williams of Tulsa, Oklahoma was struck on the shoulder by a piece of the fuel
tank of a Delta II rocket while walking. She was not injured.
Size of biggest piece of recovered re-entered space debris[2]:
A 5-6 m
2
(54-65 ft
2
) flat plate weighing 20 kg (44 pounds).
Mass of heaviest piece of recovered debris[3]:
290 kg (649 lbs).
Average number of pieces of tracked debris falling back to Earth on a typical day[4]:
1.
Average number of heavy tracked objects (satellites and rocket bodies) falling back to Earth per year[5]:
100
Number of tracked objects re-entering the Earths atmosphere in 1989, the year with the most re-entries:
Over 1000.
Amount of money the San Francisco Chronicle offered in 1979 if a subscriber suffered personal or property
damage from the re-entering Skylab satellite:
$200,000
Number of pieces of re-entered debris featured in a Miss Universe pageant[6]:
One.

Speed of Satellites:

Time required for Phileas Fogg to circumnavigate the globe by balloon: [1]
80 days
Time required for first non-stop balloon circumnavigation: [2]
19.1 days
Time required for first non-stop circumnavigation by aircraft: [3]
3.9 days
Time for a satellite in low-earth orbit to circumnavigate the earth: [4]
1.5 hours
Time for a satellite in geo-synchronous orbit to circumnavigate the earth: [5]
24 hours
Ratio of the speed of a satellite in low earth orbit to the speed of a passenger jet:
30 to 1


Database Trivia:
(All data derived from 11-1-10 UCS Satellite Database)

The current U.S. share of active satellites:
46%.

Number of satellites launched in the 1970s that are still active:
Two.

Percent of communications satellites that are in geostationary orbits:
Over 60.
Number of countries that have communications satellites in geostationary orbits.
Over 30.
Percentage of communications satellites in GEO owned by the United States:
40.
Percentage of communications satellites in LEO owned by the United States:
80.
Number of satellites currently in orbit whose primary purpose is amateur radio communications.
Three.




Communication satellites:
Year of first prototype communication satellite[1]
1958
Year of first operational communication satellite:[2]
1962
Subject of first transatlantic live television images to be transmitted by satellite (1962):[3]
Part of a baseball game between the Phillies and the Cubs
Year of first geosynchronous satellite:[4]
1963
Number of simultaneous two-way telephone conversations the first GEO communications satellite could
handle:[5]
1
First Olympics to broadcast pictures by GEO satellite:[6]
1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo
Mass of the first GEO satellite:[7]
85 lbs (39 kg)
Typical mass of a modern GEO communication satellite:[8]
8,000 lb (3,500 kg)
Fraction of all current active satellites used for communication:[9]
60%


Risks of Space Racing:
Success rate in tests of the Soviet rocket used to launch Yuri Gagarin into space at the time of his first orbital
flight:[1]
50%
Success rate in tests of the retro rockets needed for reentry of the space capsule at time of Gagarins
launch:[2]
60%
Probability of success of Gagarins flight based on these two systems:
30%
Number of people launched to space who did not return successfully:[3]
18
Number of people who died while in orbit:
0


Women in space:
(as of May 1, 2009)


Time between first man in orbit and first woman in orbit:[1]
2 years

Time between first woman in orbit and second woman in orbit:[2]
19 years

Time between first woman in orbit and first US woman in orbit:[3]
21 years

Primary qualification of Valentina Tereskova, the first woman in space, to become a cosmonaut:[4]
She was a member of a parachute club
Number of additional female cosmonauts following its first two in 1963 and 1983:[5]
1


Total number of women who have been in orbit:[6]
49
Fraction of all trips to space by women by all countries:
10.6%

Country with the highest fraction of space flights by women:[7]
Canada (33%)



Space Demographics:[1]
(as of May 1, 2009)


Number of person-years spent in space:
90.6 (0.91 person-century)

Number of different individuals launched to orbit:
500

Number of countries represented by those individuals:
36

Number of human-flights into orbit:[2]
1096

Fraction of those flights by women:
10.6%

Number of human-flights by U.S. astronauts:
773

Fraction by women:
13.6%

Number of human-flights by Soviet/Russian cosmonauts:
213

Fraction by women:
2.3%

Most human-flights by people of other nationalities:
France (17), Germany (14), Canada (13), Japan (12)

Length of first orbital flight (by Gagarin):
1 hour 48 minutes (1 orbit)

Longest single stay in orbit:
1.2 years [3]

Longest total duration in orbit for one person:
2.2 years [4]
-----------------------------

Rapid progress in satellite development:

Date of launch of the first satellite to be placed in orbit, Sputnik 1:
October 4, 1957[1]

Time between Sputnik 1 and first animal launched into orbit:
1 month[2]

Time between Sputnik 1 and first prototype communication satellite:
1.2 years[3]

Time between Sputnik 1 and first weather satellite:
1.4 years[4]

Time between Sputnik 1 and launch of first object to reach the moon:
1.9 years[5]

Time between Sputnik 1 and first animal to successfully return from orbit:
2.8 years[6]

Time between Sputnik 1 and first human launched into orbit (Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin):
3.5 years[7]

Time between first flight by Wright Brothers to first non-stop transatlantic airplane flight:
16 years[8]

Time between first person in orbit to first person on the moon:
8 years[9]