{"id":157612,"date":"2025-07-23T03:26:31","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T03:26:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/guide-to-not-getting-lost-in-a-massive-web-were-becoming-more-dependent-on\/"},"modified":"2025-07-23T03:26:33","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T03:26:33","slug":"guide-to-not-getting-lost-in-a-massive-web-were-becoming-more-dependent-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/guide-to-not-getting-lost-in-a-massive-web-were-becoming-more-dependent-on\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide to Not Getting Lost in a Massive Web We’re Becoming More Dependent On."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Seeing \u00a0satellites\u00a0 gliding silently across the night sky has become increasingly common. There are even tools available to track which satellites are passing over or when the \u00a0Starlink\u00a0 trains will fly above your city.<\/p>\n

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From the \u00a0GPS\u00a0 that guides us along roads to broadcasts of sporting events, and the fleet of \u00a0weather satellites\u00a0 that have greatly improved \u00a0weather forecasting\u00a0: if undersea cables are the pillars of the digital age, satellites are the braces that hold the bridge together.<\/p>\n

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What is a Satellite (and What isn\u2019t)<\/h2>\n

The word comes from the Latin satelles<\/em>, meaning “attendant.” Essentially, a satellite is any object that orbits a larger body, held in place by its \u00a0gravity\u00a0. The Moon is Earth’s natural satellite.<\/p>\n

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According to data from the European Space Agency<\/a>, there are currently 14,690 \u00a0artificial satellites\u00a0 in Earth\u2019s orbit, including both operational and inactive ones. Eighty-six percent reside in \u00a0low Earth orbit (LEO)\u00a0, less than 2,000 km high, completing up to 16 orbits of Earth each day. About 2.5% operate in \u00a0medium Earth orbit\u00a0, making two to six daily orbits. The remaining 5.5% are in \u00a0geostationary orbit (GEO)\u00a0, situated at 35,786 km where they constantly observe the same point on Earth. The rest follow \u00a0elliptical orbits\u00a0.<\/p>\n

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 <img alt=\"Every day, three large pieces of space debris re-enter Earth: &quot;One day our luck will run out and they will fall on someone&quot;\" width=\"375\" height=\"142\" src=\"https:\/\/i.blogs.es\/04d55e\/basura-espacial\/375_142.jpeg\"\/><\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
However, not everything we launch into space qualifies as a satellite. \u00a0Interplanetary probes\u00a0 (or even \u00a0interstellar probes\u00a0, such as the Voyager spacecraft) are designed to escape Earth\u2019s gravity and venture into deep space. They do not orbit Earth, thus are not recognized as satellites of our planet. A recent example is the European probe Hera, currently en route to an asteroid, having recently utilized Mars’ gravity to accelerate its voyage.<\/p>\n
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Although they could technically qualify, rockets, spacecraft, or space stations that orbit Earth are not considered satellites. Another potential classification is \u00a0space debris\u00a0, which includes all defunct satellites, abandoned rocket stages, and even paint fragments orbiting our planet. The danger lies not in their origin or size, but in their speed of up to 28,000 km\/h, turning any small piece into a \u00a0projectile\u00a0.<\/p>\n
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After decades of satellite launches\u2014some more responsible than others\u2014space debris has become a serious issue. Each time a satellite explodes in orbit or disintegrates into hundreds of pieces, the risk of \u00a0chain collisions\u00a0 increases. Once an artificial satellite exhausts its fuel or its components fail, it becomes new debris until it falls back to Earth under the influence of gravity and atmospheric drag, where the atmosphere cleans it up. Each day, three large pieces of space debris re-enter the atmosphere, and this number is on the rise.<\/p>\n
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Types of Satellites<\/h2>\n
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    <span>NASA's SunRISE minisatellites. Image | Space Dynamics Laboratory<\/span><\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
There\u2019s a fundamental division between natural satellites and artificial satellites. The former are part of the cosmos, while the latter are products of human engineering.<\/p>\n
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Natural Satellites<\/h3>\n
Commonly referred to as moons. These celestial bodies naturally formed and orbit planets, asteroids, or even larger bodies. In our solar system, only Mercury and Venus lack satellites. Their origins fall into three categories: co-formation, gravitational capture, or a giant impact, such as the one believed to have formed our Moon.<\/p>\n
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Gaseous giants like Jupiter and Saturn boast so many moons that they each form “mini solar systems.” Some are fascinating worlds in their own right. \u00a0Ganymede\u00a0, Jupiter\u2019s largest moon, is even larger than the planet Mercury. \u00a0Europa\u00a0, another Jovian moon, is a leading candidate in the search for extraterrestrial life, believed to harbor a vast subsurface ocean beneath its icy crust.<\/p>\n
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On Saturn, the icy moon \u00a0Enceladus\u00a0 erupts geysers of water vapor into space from a subsurface ocean. \u00a0Titan\u00a0, another Saturnian moon, is the only one with a dense atmosphere that maintains rivers and lakes of liquid methane on its surface. This is where NASA plans to deploy the \u00a0Dragonfly\u00a0 helicopter following the success of \u00a0Ingenuity\u00a0 on Mars.<\/p>\n
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Artificial Satellites<\/h3>\n
These are the uncrewed vessels we constantly send into space for various missions. Since the launch of \u00a0Sputnik 1\u00a0 by the Soviet Union in 1957, we\u2019ve sent tens of thousands into orbit.<\/p>\n
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The dominant player in satellite deployment in recent years has been \u00a0SpaceX\u00a0, whose \u00a0Falcon 9\u00a0 rocket can reuse most of its mass. Elon Musk’s company has launched 8,000 \u00a0Starlink satellites\u00a0 in just five years. This satellite internet provider serves five million users with virtually no competition, although alternatives like Amazon’s \u00a0Project Kuiper\u00a0 are set to launch massive deployments starting in 2025, as China and Europe invest in their own alternatives to address their strategic disadvantages.<\/p>\n
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Artificial satellites can be classified based on their orbit, size, and function. The orbit is a key factor, as it determines what each satellite can observe, its frequency of communication, and how it connects with us.<\/p>\n
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Low Earth Orbit (LEO)<\/strong>: This ranges from about 160\u202fkm to 2,000\u202fkm above the Earth. In this orbit, satellites complete an orbit every 90-128\u202fminutes, providing low latency for communication satellites and high resolution for Earth observation satellites, along with lower launch costs. However, the disadvantages include limited coverage (requiring megaconstellations) and atmospheric drag, which shortens their lifespan or necessitates orbital maintenance maneuvers. LEO is home to both megaconstellations like Starlink and the majority of Earth observation satellites.<\/p>\n
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Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)<\/strong>: This extends from 2,000\u202fkm to 35,786\u202fkm in altitude, with orbital periods of 2 to 12 hours. MEO provides global coverage with moderate latency, but traverses the \u00a0Van Allen radiation belts\u00a0, necessitating more durable components. This is the natural domain for satellite navigation systems (like \u00a0GPS\u00a0, \u00a0Galileo\u00a0, \u00a0GLONASS\u00a0, and \u00a0BeiDou\u00a0).<\/p>\n
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Geostationary Orbit (GEO)<\/strong>: Positioned at 35\u202f786\u202fkm above the equator, a satellite completes an orbit in exactly 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds, remaining fixed above the same terrestrial region. This makes GEO ideal for telecommunications, television, and meteorology: each satellite covers nearly a third of the planet. However, high latency (250 ms round trip) and lack of coverage at extreme latitudes are downsides. A recent example is a Chinese geostationary radar surveillance satellite.<\/p>\n
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Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO)<\/strong>: These satellites feature a very low perigee (around 1,000 km) and a very high apogee (above GEO). Their eccentricity allows them to remain over high latitudes for extended periods during each orbit, providing coverage GEO cannot in polar regions but requiring complex tracking and also crossing radiation belts. The most well-known types are \u00a0Molniya orbits\u00a0, used for communications and monitoring in polar regions.<\/p>\n
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Another way to classify satellites is by mass, where the space industry has made significant strides. \u00a0Miniaturization\u00a0 has enabled everyone from universities to startups to launch their own satellites. This classification clearly illustrates diversity: large satellites (over 1,000 kg) include observatories like the \u00a0Hubble Space Telescope\u00a0. \u00a0Minisatellites\u00a0 (100-500 kg) are common in constellations like \u00a0OneWeb\u00a0.<\/p>\n
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Continuing down the scale, \u00a0microsatellites\u00a0 (10-100 kg) are used for research missions, while \u00a0nanosatellites\u00a0 (1-10 kg), popularized by the \u00a0CubeSat\u00a0 standard, have opened space access to education and startups. Finally, \u00a0picosatellites\u00a0 (weighing from 100 grams) are employed for experiments and formation flying.<\/p>\n
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Ultimately, a satellite is defined by what it does. Its missions serve as the backbone of our global infrastructure. The principal missions include:<\/p>\n
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Communications<\/strong>: Satellites act as repeaters for TV, telephone, and internet. Innovations in this field have been constant; SpaceX has enabled direct LTE cellular connections with its Starlink satellites, a service purchased by \u00a0Apple\u00a0 for $5 billion to provide connectivity to iPhones.<\/p>\n
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Earth Observation<\/strong>: Weather or scientific missions monitor \u00a0climate\u00a0 or the health of our planet. Recently, the \u00a0European Space Agency\u00a0 launched a sophisticated radar satellite capable of scanning through forests to count forest biomass.<\/p>\n
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Navigation (GNSS)<\/strong>: These systems inform us of our location. Systems like the U.S. GPS or China\u2019s BeiDou, which has convinced over 140 countries, are critical infrastructures.<\/p>\n
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Astronomical Research<\/strong>: They serve as our eyes in the cosmos, monitoring near-Earth asteroids, creating artificial eclipses to study the sun, or capturing deep-space images.<\/p>\n
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Military Use<\/strong>: Satellites are utilized for intelligence, surveillance, and secure communications. From Russian “matrioshka” satellites that separate to harass enemies to advanced military satellites from Spain serving \u00a0NATO\u00a0, their role has increased since the war in Ukraine showcased the superiority of the Starlink megaconstellation. The term “Starlink killers” is now openly discussed for disabling them in conflict scenarios.<\/p>\n
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Anatomy of a Satellite: The Bus<\/h2>\n
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    <span>Four CubeSats, a standard design for nanosatellites. Image | NASA<\/span><\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
A satellite consists of two fundamental parts: the \u00a0payload\u00a0, which includes the instruments that carry out the mission (such as a camera or antenna), and the \u00a0bus\u00a0, which is the platform supporting everything else. The bus is the machinery that keeps the satellite alive and functional. The current trend favors modular and standardized buses with software-defined payloads, allowing for mission reconfiguration once in orbit, thus enhancing flexibility and value.<\/p>\n
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Key subsystems include the structure (the chassis supporting everything), the power system (typically solar panels and batteries), thermal control (maintaining an appropriate temperature), attitude control (orienting the satellite), propulsion (for orbital maneuvers), telemetry, tracking, and command systems (for communicating with the ground), and the onboard computer (the brain managing all operations). Occasionally, these systems fail, but a recent case demonstrated that a German hacker could revive a satellite that had been non-functional for 12 years with a firmware change.<\/p>\n
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Orbital Governance: The Rules of the Game<\/h2>\n
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    <span>Diagram of how satellite navigation works. Image | ESA<\/span><\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Despite the growing issue of space debris, launching and operating a satellite is not a free-for-all. There exists a complex legal and regulatory framework aimed at ensuring the peaceful and sustainable use of outer space.<\/p>\n
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The foundation of this framework is the \u00a0Outer Space Treaty of 1967\u00a0, which establishes space as a common heritage for humanity, prohibits weapons of mass destruction in orbit, and holds states accountable for their space activities. This is followed by other agreements like the \u00a01972 Convention on Responsibility\u00a0 and the \u00a01976 Registration Convention\u00a0.<\/p>\n
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The agency coordinating radio frequency use and allocating orbital positions for satellites in the coveted GEO is the \u00a0International Telecommunication Union (ITU)\u00a0, a part of the UN. Then, each nation has its regulations to authorize and oversee launches within its jurisdiction. Agencies like the \u00a0FCC\u00a0 in the United States and the \u00a0CNMC\u00a0 in Spain issue the necessary spectrum licenses to prevent interference.<\/p>\n
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A significant bottleneck today is the management of \u00a0space traffic\u00a0. With thousands of satellites and over a million pieces of debris, the risk of collision is real. Incidents such as the near miss between a Russian and an American satellite, or the mysterious movements of an old British satellite, highlight this danger. Services like \u00a0Space-Track\u00a0 or \u00a0LeoLabs\u00a0 monitor objects in orbit and issues conjunction alerts to allow satellite operators to perform evasive maneuvers.<\/p>\n
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To mitigate this risk, efforts to remove space debris (albeit still in their infancy) are burgeoning, and regions like the United States and Europe have imposed stricter rules to prevent satellites and dead rockets from remaining in orbit. The international recommendation is that satellites in LEO should be deorbited within 25 years after their mission concludes.<\/p>\n
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The Satellite Ecosystem and the Future<\/h2>\n
The current space era is a complex ecosystem that relies on both the technology in orbit and the capacity to reach it. The cost and availability of launches are key factors. The trend is highlighted by \u00a0reuse\u00a0, spearheaded by SpaceX’s Falcon 9, which has significantly lowered access to space, raising concerns from competitors like \u00a0Arianespace\u00a0 that Elon Musk might monopolize the industry. Next in line is the enormous \u00a0Starship\u00a0 rocket.<\/p>\n
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A new generation of \u00a0microlaunchers\u00a0 has also emerged, including \u00a0Miura 5\u00a0 from \u00a0PLD Space\u00a0, dedicated to servicing small satellites. Flexibility is now the norm: even giants like Amazon have contracted their competitor SpaceX to launch part of their Kuiper constellation, underscoring that launch capacity is a strategic asset.<\/p>\n
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However, innovation is not limited to launch vehicles. SpaceX has standardized laser communication with optical links between its satellites, while NASA is testing the capability to refuel, repair, and assemble satellites directly in space with missions like \u00a0OSAM-1\u00a0. China has already implemented its first “space gas station”.<\/p>\n
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China is also developing systems to beam solar power back to Earth from orbit, where solar panels are more efficient and harness more hours of sunlight. If satellites are already the foundation of our digital world, they could soon become a vital source of the energy we consume.<\/p>\n
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Image | ESA<\/p>\n
In Xataka | What are solar storms and why has society become so vulnerable to something that has been occurring for millions of years<\/p>\n

\n
General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Seeing \u00a0satellites\u00a0 gliding silently across the night sky has become increasingly common. There are even tools available to track which satellites are passing over or when the \u00a0Starlink\u00a0 trains will fly above your city. From the \u00a0GPS\u00a0 that guides us along roads to broadcasts of sporting events, and the fleet of \u00a0weather satellites\u00a0 that have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":157613,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36399],"tags":[2735,3873,50,3125,31330],"class_list":["post-157612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-dependent","tag-guide","tag-lost","tag-massive","tag-web"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=157612"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157612\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/157613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=157612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=157612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=157612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}