Have you ever looked up at the sky at night and seen a bright, moving light? That could be a satellite!

What are satellites used for?

A satellite is an object that is launched into space and orbits around the Earth. Satellites can be natural, like the moon, or man-made, like the ones that are launched into space by scientists.

Satellites are really important because they can be used for lots of different things. For example, scientists use satellites to study the Earth and its environment.

They can use special cameras on the satellites to take pictures of the Earth from space, which helps them to learn more about the weather, the oceans, and even the animals that live on our planet.

Sending signals

Satellites are also used for communication. Have you ever used a phone or watched TV?

These devices use signals that are sent through the air, and sometimes they need to travel a long way to reach you. Satellites can help with this - they can receive the signals from one place on the Earth and then send them to another, even if that place is on the other side of the planet!

Map reading

Satellites can be used for navigation (map reading). 

Have you ever used a GPS device to help you find your way somewhere? GPS stands for Global Positioning System, and it uses signals from satellites to tell you where you are and how to get to where you want to go.

In summary

So, satellites are objects that orbit around the Earth and can be used for lots of different things, like studying the environment, communication, and navigation. Without satellites, many of the technologies we use every day wouldn't be possible!