In the history of the world no other invention has revolutionized science as much as the satellite. As early as 1687 "The theoretical possibility of establishing an artificial satellite of the earth has been mentioned by the English mathematician Isaac Newton as a consequence of his work on the theory of gravitation." (Groliers CDROM) Since that time the work of scientists all around the world has added to what we now know as the satellite.

Early Work On Artificial Satellites

Early on in the 20th century the work of Americans Robert Goddard and Russian Konstantin Tsiolkovsky paved the way for the future launchings of satellites. The theoretical work of Tsiolkovsky was on the actual possibility of launching this object into the upper regions of the atmosphere known as space. Taking this information Goddard did actual experimentation on how to launch such an object. It was the tedious leg work that these two men did that provided an enormous stimulus for what happened next. One October day in 1954 "The Committee for the International geophysical year(IGY) recommended to member countries that they consider launching small satellite Vehicles for scientific exploration."(Groliers CDROM) The US and the USSR both announced plans to launch such satellites later on that year. It was this beginning work that produced the first launch of an artificial satellite.

Launch Of The First Satellite

One autumn day in 1957 the launch of an 84 kg. ball revolutionized science. This ball was named Sputnik 1. It was launched on October 4,1957. This ball circled the earth in 1 hr. 36.2 min. at 28,800 km/h . It sent back strong continuous radio signals that were so strong that they could be picked up by amateurs. The US counterpart was named Explorer 1, it was launched on January 31, 1958. These two satellites provided an enormous boost for satellites to follow.

Satellites That Followed

After that first launch many other satellites were sent into orbit which paved the way for major discoveries.

1. Sputnik 3

2. Cosmos 1

3. Cosmos 51

4. Cosmos 166

5. Explorer 1

6. Explorer 42 (Uhuru)

These satellites made many great discoveries that have impacted on every part of our life.

Uses Of Satellites

From navigation to high tech espionage the satellite has proved tremendously useful in their applications on everyday life. Since that first satellite that only sent back radio signals we now have satellites that accomplish a broad range of tasks. We now have satellites that support governments, give us high quality picture and sound on our televisions, ensure us faster beeps and better clarity on our cellphones. Ever since that autumn day in 1957 the satellite has advanced time and time again so that now it plays such an integral part of our everyday lives I do not know how we could get along without it. How different our lives would be today without the vision of those that came before us.

Important Discoveries Made By Satellites

From discovering the Van Allen radiation belts to the discoveries of x-rays in outerspace the satellite has had a major impact on our everyday life. The first discovery that a satellite made was by Explorer1 in 1958. It was the first satellite to discover the Van Allen radiation belts that circled the earth. The next great discovery was the mapping of the x-rays of the universe. Explorer42 was the first to discover the source now called Cygnus x1. For the Russians the whole Cosmos series was devoted to discovering and mapping cosmic and ultraviolet sources within the universe. The work of these two countries stimulated the launch of satellites from such countries as ; Canada, China, India , and Japan. Thanks to all of these discoveries the satellite has become an accepted part of everyday life.

Conclusion

In conclusion all of the groundwork that paved the way to the first launch made an impact on society as a whole that no other invention has done before. From communications to espionage to navigation to weather , this invention has shaped the way in which the world now lives. It is now an accepted part of everyday life. It is now seen as a useful tool which can be used to keep in touch and aid everyday life decisions. I conclude that no invention in history has helped humankind on such a large basis as the satellite.

"Artificial Satellites" Groliers Multimedia Encyclopedia . Groliers Electronic Publishing inc. Mac CD-ROM

"Satellite Astronomy" The World Book Encyclopedia Of Science The Heavens 1991 pg. 130

The New Book of Popular Science Grolier Publishing Inc. 1987 pg. 262