Luciana's Maker Station - Satellite

This is the Satellite from Luciana's Maker Station.

The blue objects are the solar panels. These catch the rays of the sun and charge the batteries which keeps the satellite working. The antenna sends and receives information to Mission Control Center on Earth. Version 2 of the Satellite added the camera, batteries and the radio receiver.

This is a really interesting article from NASA all about satellites.

Satellites come in many shapes and sizes. But most have at least two parts in common - an antenna and a power source. The antenna is used to send and receive information. The power source can be a solar panel or battery. Solar panels make power by turning sunlight into electricity.

A satellite is an object that moves around a larger object. Earth is a satellite because it moves around the sun. The moon is a satellite because it moves around Earth. Earth and the moon are called "natural" satellites.

But usually when someone says "satellite," they are talking about a "man-made" satellite. Man-made satellites are machines made by people. These machines are launched into space and orbit Earth or another body in space.

There are thousands of man-made satellites. Some take pictures of our planet. Some take pictures of other planets, the sun and other objects. These pictures help scientists learn about Earth, the solar system and the universe. Other satellites send TV signals and phone calls around the world.