THEME: EARTH AND SPACE PHYSICS.

TOPIC 3: SATELLITES AND COMMUNICATION.

Competency: The learner should be able to explain what artificial satellites are and
how they are applied in space exploration and other fields.
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to;
a) Understand what artificial satellites are and how we make use of them in
research and in everyday life.
b) Appreciate the importance of space exploration.
Key words.
 Satellite  Telescope
 Artificial satellite  Hubble space telescope
 Orbit  NASA
 Space  International space station (ISS)
 Space exploration  Global positioning system (GPS)
SATELLITE
A satellite is a body moving around a larger body in a curved path. This path is
called and orbit.
The earth (planet) revolves around the sun (star), so its also a satellite and the moon
revolves around the earth.
A satellite that revolves around a star is called a planet while that which revolves
around a planet is called a moon.
Classification of satellites.
They are classified into namely; artificial and natural satellites.
Natural satellite. Is a celestial body in orbit around a star or planet. They include;
moon, earth, (research and add more).
ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES.
Is a man-made body placed in orbit around a planet in order to collect information
about it or for communication purposes. OR
Is an object that has been intentionally placed to move in a curved path around a
planet.
Artificial satellites are classified by their function since they are launched into space
to do a specific job, these include;
 Communication satellites  Research satellites
 Weather satellites  Navigation satellites &
 Remote sensing satellites  Earth observation satellites
Communication satellites.
These relay the signals around the curve of the earth allowing communication between
widely separated geographical points.
They use a wide range of radio and micro frequencies.
They provide telecommunications (telephone calls, wireless, mobile and cellular
network), broadcasting (radio and television signals) and data communication (internet
connection, video calling) services.
Weather satellite.
Is a type of earth observation satellite that is used to monitor weather and climatic
conditions of the earth.
They are equipped with instruments called radiometers which scan the earth to form
images.
Remote sensing satellite.
Is an earth observation satellite that detects and monitors the physical characteristics of
an area by measuring its reflected and emitted radiation at a distance.
They are used for; controlling forest fires, land use and cover mapping, mining among
others.
Navigation satellite.
Is a satellite that is capable of providing particular positioning everywhere in the world.
It shows the latitude, longitude and height from sea level of an area or building with
utmost precision. They can be used in surveying, logistics and shipping services
(research and add more).
Most of the artificial satellites are launched into space by rockets.
The Soviet Union (Russia) launched the world’s first satellite on 4 October 1957.
Most of the artificial satellites are in the atmosphere in the region of thermosphere and
exosphere.
In agriculture. Satellites provide data for monitoring soil, drought and crop
development.
Transport. Satellites alert officials if there is heavy traffic which helps in alerting all
vehicle uses who may be affected.
Trade. Satellites can be used to monitor trading commodities and prices.
Major Parts of an artificial satellite & their functions.

Satellites & orbits

Orbit is the curved path that an object in space takes around another due to gravity.
When rockets launch our satellites, they put them into orbits in space and gravity keeps
them on their required orbit.
The satellites orbiting the earth are placed in three types of orbits namely; low earth
orbit (LEO), medium earth orbit (MEO) & geostationary orbit (GEO) as shown below.

The orbit to use depends on what the satellite is designed for.

 Low earth orbit (LEO)

 Medium earth orbit (MEO)

This is an orbit at an altitude between 8000km and 18000km above the earth’s
surface. Satellites in this orbit are visible for much longer periods than satellites
in LEO usually for hours.
 Geostationary orbit (GEO)
Satellites in the geostationary orbit revolve around the earth at the same speed as the
earth rotates and when viewed from a fixed point on earth, they seem to be stationary.
Satellites in navigation.
When one looses direction, they may ask other people for direction, ancient sailors used
constellations, but if this happens in the middle of an ocean, forest or high up in a flight,
what can be done?
A system that that accurately determines one’s location and directions to the final
destination is the global positioning system (GPS).
Global positioning system (GPS).
GPS is a satellite navigation system used to determine the ground position of an object.
GPS is made up of three parts; satellites, ground stations and receivers.
The GPS uses a mathematical principle called trilateration (the process of determining
absolute or relative locations of points by measurement of distances using the geometry
of circles, spheres or triangles).

GPS in use.
Trial activity (must do and attach your graph piece)
Locating the position of a point using trilateration
Question. What are the coordinates of point P which is at distances of 50km, 40km and
30km from points A(-20,-30), B(50,10) and C(10,40) respectively?
 Draw the x-axis and the y-axis in the middle of the grid (graph) paper.
 Using a scale of 1cm to represent 10km on both axes, number the axes.
 Plot points A(-20,-30), B(50,10) and C(10,40).
 Draw a circle of radius 50km with point A as the centre of the circle.
 Draw a circle of radius 40km with point B as the centre of the circle.
 Read and record the coordinates of the point of intersection of the two circles.
 Draw a third circle of radius 30km with point C as the centre of the circle.
 Read and record the coordinates of the point P where the three circles intersect.
The GPS was developed by the US department of defence and was initially meant
for military application, it was later made available for civilian use in 1980s.
Your mobile device does not send the GPS satellite any signal, it only receives
what the satellite is broadcasting.
Limitations of GPS.
The GPS may not accurately determine one’s location under certain conditions.

1. Inaccuracy

GPS devices rely upon receiving signals from at least four satellites. If they connect
with only three, the positioning is not fully accurate. Problems can occur when
obstacles, such as walls, buildings, skyscrapers, and trees obstruct a signal.

Extreme atmospheric conditions, such as geomagnetic storms, can also cause problems.
In addition, the mapping technology which is used in conjunction with the GPS may not
be accurate or up to date and cause navigational errors.

2. Lack of Local Knowledge

Local knowledge counts for a lot when traveling. Relying solely on GPS technology
means that you can miss out on information that might be useful for your journey.

For instance, you might not know whether a piece of road is prone to flooding or other
hazards at certain times of day, whether there are any scenic views, or whether the road
is closed during certain periods, for example, due to drawbridges or railway crossings.

3. Signal or Battery Failure

Sole reliance on GPS can cause problems if you suffer a signal failure or if you are
using a battery-operated device that runs out of power
4. Reliance on US Department of Defense.

GPS was developed by the US Department of Defense (DoD) for military purposes. As
well as helping with navigation of land and sea vehicles, it has other uses, such as
accurately targeting missiles.

The system is currently universally available for free, but the DoD is able to selectively
restrict usage, or degrade the service at any time it chooses.

5. Privacy Issues and Crime

GPS devices can be used to track people without their knowledge. A device can be
placed in a car, for instance, so that the victim's location can be known at all times. This
method can also be used as an aid for all sorts of nefarious and criminal purposes, such
as stalking, burglary, kidnapping, even murder. These tracking devices are increasingly
affordable and easy to obtain.

Space Exploration.
Space also known as outer space is the near vacuum region between celestial
bodies.
It is where all planets, stars, galaxies and other objects are found. Outer space
begins about 100km above the earth.
The intangible desire to explore and challenge the boundaries of what we know
and where we have been as led to space exploration.
More than 5000 spacecrafts have been launched to gather information, they
include space crafts with humans on board, space probes and satellites.
The Hubble space telescope.
Telescopes have been used as tools of astronomical research. The invention of
the Hubble telescope is a recent one.
It is currently located about 547km above the earth’s surface.
It is used to take photos of the objects in space which facilitates space
exploration.
A Hubble telescope collects light from celestial objects from which a lot of
information to be used in astronomy is deduced.
Scientists believe there is likely to be life on other planets other than earth,
exoplanets which are in a habitant zone (a zone with conditions similar to those on
earth) thus, there is a possibility of life existing somewhere else. This has been revealed
by the Hubble space telescope.

The Hubble telescope was named after an astronomer called Edwin P. Hubble.
 (Hubble Telescope)
Why the Hubble telescope takes better pictures than telescopes on earth.
it is above Earth’s atmosphere.
 Hubble flies around, or orbits, high above Earth and its atmosphere
The International Space Station (ISS)
 It is a large spacecraft in orbit around the earth.
 The ISS orbits at approximately 350km.
 U.S, Russia, Canada, Japan and the participating countries of the European
Space Agency contributed to the construction of the ISS.
 The ISS can be used for humans to live in (habitant). Currently a crew of
astronauts live there. Its also a unique science laboratory where the
astronauts perform experiments.
 The ISS completes one revolution in about 90minutes.
 The mission of the ISS is to enable long term exploration of space and
provide benefits to people on earth.
 Scientists believe there is likely to be life on other planets other than earth,
exoplanets which are in a habitant zone (a zone with conditions similar to
those on earth) thus, there is a possibility of life existing somewhere else.
 In 2015, lettuce was the first food eaten that was grown in space.
Some Space Exploration Bodies Today.
 National Aeronautics And Space Administration (NASA) owned by united states
of America.
 Ros Cosmos State Corporation For Space Activities owned by Russians.
 China National Space Administration owned by Chinese.
 And individuals like Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk.
Uganda’s space initiative.
Uganda’s first ever satellite, PearlAfricaSat-1 was successfully launched into
space on 7th November 2022 following its construction by three Ugandan
aerospace engineers in collaboration with Kyushu institute of technology in
Japan under a multinational satellite design programme, aboard a NASA
spaceship.
The ‘satellite launch’ project first announced in 2019, took a major step forward
together with a ground station in Mukono satellite station. The station now serves
as the operation and communication centre for the PearlAfricaSat-1 satellite.
The PearlAfricaSat-1 was deployed into low earth orbit to provide research and
observation data that will provide solutions in weather forecast, agriculture
monitoring, land, water bodies, mineral mapping among others.
 As a country, the development of PearlAfricaSat-1 presents opportunities for
Uganda’s participation in space science, meaning our engineers will be practical
solutions to challenges facing Ugandan citizens as well as boosting the country’s
internal capacity to develop the space science and technology industry value
chain.

Mpoma satellite station, mukono Ugandan engineers and the pearlfrica-1 satellite
Space exploration and related fields is an ever-expanding area with
great potential for numerous career specialization. With more
knowledge about outer space, you can pursue a career as an
astronomer, an astronaut or a space engineer.