Types and Uses of Satellites

Satellites can be classified by their function since they are launched into space to do a specific job. The type of satellite that is launched to monitor cloud patterns for a weather station will be different than a satellite launched to send television signals across Canada. The satellite must be designed specifically to fulfill its role.

Below are the names of nine different types of satellites. There are also nine pictures of satellites. Each picture is an example of one type of satellite. You can click either on the picture or on the name to learn more about that type of satellite, and its example.

- Astronomy satellites - Hubble Space Telescope

- Atmospheric Studies satellites - Polar

- Communications satellites - Anik E

- Navigation satellites - Navstar

- Reconaissance satellites - Kennan, Big Bird, Lacrosse

- Remote Sensing satellites - Radarsat

- Search and Rescue satellites - Cospas-Sarsat

- Space Exploration satellites - Galileo

- Weather satellites - Meteosat


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Produced by Galactics.
Comments: galactics@spacesim.org.
Last updated on: 8 August 1997.