History

A communication Satellite is  an artificial satellite used to aid telecommunications by reflecting or relaying a radio signal. The first communication satellite was launched by the Soviets called Sputnik 1 on Octorober 4, 1957. America soon followed with project Score in 1958 during the race for space. These satellites just were for simple radio communications. The way a communication satellite works is like bouncing messages off a mirror in space to either a spead or fixed location. There are various patterns of orbit that the satellite rotates with or around the Earth. AT&T was the first company to put an active relay satellite (back then owned by Telstar) which NASA launched on July 10, 1962. The satellites use radio bands and wavelenghts to send messages back and forth.

Billion dollar industry

 "Satellite communications is also the only truly commercial space technology- -generating billions of dollars annually in sales of products and services." (NASA) By 1964 there were 6 satellites total 2 of which were AT&T. This set up the telephone industry to be capable of long distance phone calls. Instead of using the typical land line people would be using the service of a geostationary satellite.

Satellite television and radio has also added to the profits of satellite owners. Satellite radio is in near every car produced today and majority of customers have satellite television. Now there are costs of maintaining the satellite along with runing the business however even with those costs these companies are able to make billions of dollars. Sirius and XM are two of the companies in the satellite radio business that have boomed with the intertwining of mobile staellite radio and cars. what satellite radio allows is for a customer to listen to the same station from coast to coast, state to state and city to city, instead of having to find a new broadcast every few hundred miles.

Communications Satellite Corporation (COMSAT) formed as a result of this budding industry. COMSAT partnered with Hughes Aircraft Company which was an geosynchronous satellite (24 hour orbit) called "Early Bird" this had started golabal satellite communications. COMSAT intitally capitalized 200 million dollars which opened their eyes to how much money they could truly make if they open the market up. (NASA)

 Orbital Rotations

Low earth orbit=blue

Nicknamed a LEO satellite

Geostationary orbit

Military use

Communication satellites are used by the military for Ground control and command. For the United States military it assures global connectivity. The military can take advantage of their satellites even by blocking others satellites from other countries.

Even in remote areas with no communications infrastructure. 

NOT FINAL DRAFT THEREFORE NO SOURCES LISTED, HOWEVER SOURCES USED.   final will have MLA cited sources.