Did you know: Satellites can see through clouds...

In October 1957, the former USSR launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, into space in 1957.

Artificial Satellite is any object purposely placed into orbit around Earth, other planets, or the Sun. Since the launching of the first artificial satellite in 1957, thousands of these "man-made moons" have been rocketed into Earth orbit. Today, artificial satellites play key roles in the communications industry, in military intelligence, and in the scientific study of both Earth and outer space.

Engineers have developed many kinds of satellites, each designed to serve a specific purpose or mission. For instance the telecommunications and broadcasting industries use communications satellites to carry radio, television, and telephone signals over long distances without the need for cables or microwave relays. Navigational satellites pinpoint the location of objects on Earth, while weather satellites help meteorologists forecast the weather. The United States government uses surveillance satellites to monitor military activities. Scientific satellites serve as space-based platforms for observation of Earth, the other planets, the Sun, comets, and galaxies, and are useful in a wide variety of other applications.

Satellites use sophisticated cameras and instruments that can "look" through clouds to the sea's surface and measure, temperature, wave height, and current directions. Scientists use this information to predict, for example, how weather may be affected by an El Nino event.

How many artificial satellites are in space? more than 2671 satellites.

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