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Space technology
Launch vehicles and orbits, satellites and space exploration. The concepts you need to understand space technology, and how they relate to each other.
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- Launch vehicleThe rocket that carries a satellite or spacecraft from the ground into space.
- Rocket engineA machine that burns fuel and shoots the hot gas out the back, so the push in the other direction moves the rocket.
- Reusable rocketA rocket that is not thrown away after one launch. It comes back, lands, and is flown again.
- SatelliteAn object people launch to circle the Earth. It handles communication, observation and navigation.
- OrbitThe path along which a satellite keeps circling the Earth without falling down.
- Low Earth orbit (LEO)The region of space close to Earth, from the ground up to a height of 2,000 km.
- Geostationary orbit (GEO)An orbit about 36,000 km above the equator, where a satellite seems to hang still in one spot in the sky.
- Satellite constellationHundreds or thousands of satellites flown as one group, working together like a single system.
- Satellite internetInternet that connects through satellites in the sky instead of base stations on the ground.
- Direct-to-cellA kind of communication where the phone you already use connects straight to a satellite, with no dish antenna.
- Earth observation satelliteA satellite that photographs and measures the Earth's land, sea and sky from space.
- CubeSatA very small satellite built from a basic unit: a cube 10 cm on each side.
- Space debrisObjects left drifting in orbit, such as dead satellites, discarded rocket pieces and broken fragments.
- Atmospheric reentryWhen an object that was in space comes back into the Earth's layer of air.
- SpacecraftA vehicle built to fly in space and carry people or cargo.
- Crewed spaceflightPeople riding a spacecraft themselves to space and back.
- Space stationA facility in Earth orbit where people stay for months at a time to do experiments and work.
- Lunar explorationSending probes or people to the Moon to study it, and eventually to build a place to stay.
- LanderA spacecraft built to touch down softly on the surface of the Moon or a planet.
- Mars explorationSending probes and rovers to Mars to study it, and someday sending people.
- Space telescopeA telescope placed in space, outside the Earth's air, to look at stars and galaxies.
- Orbital data centerThe idea of putting the computer facilities that do AI calculations in Earth orbit instead of on the ground.
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These concept articles were written by AI and checked again for accuracy before publishing. The English edition is translated from the Korean articles. They leave out things that change quickly, such as prices and rankings. Tell us if something is wrong. Report an errorLast updated