communications satellite

A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Earth. Communications satellites are used for television, telephone, radio, internet, and military applications. Some communications satellites are in geostationary orbit 22,236 miles (35,785 km) above the equator, so that the satellite appears stationary at the same point in the sky; therefore the satellite dish antennas of ground stations can be aimed permanently at that spot and do not have to move to track the satellite. But most form satellite constellations in low Earth orbit, where antennas on the ground have to follow the position of the satellites and switch between satellites frequently.

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Wikimedia, Wikidata
SATCOM; communication satellite; communication satellites; communications satellites; comsat
artificial satellite of the Earth, 
Nimiq, Sirius, SGDC, SES satellite, Satcom, Raduga satellite constellation, Raduga, Raduga-1, Raduga 1M, Palapa, Orbital Test Satellite, Orbcomm, O3b, Skynet, NATO SATCOM, Nadezhda, Morelos Satellite System, Molniya, Mexican Satellite System, Meridian, Marisat, MARECS, Koreasat, KazSat, JCSAT, Türksat, Global Xpress, Orion, O3b mPOWER, BlueBird, International Telecommunications Satellite, Telstar 19V, Telstar 18V, Yamal, W Series, Westar, ViaSat-3, TV-Sat, Italsat, Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, Tiantong, Tianlian I, Thor, Thaicom, Telstar, Telstar 3, TDF 1 & 2, Symphonie, Strela, Solidaridad Satellite System, BlueWalker 1, Astra, Astra 5°E, Astra 31.5°E, Astra 28.2°E, Astra 23.5°E, Astra 19.2°E, artificial satellite of the Earth, Applications Technology Satellite, Anik, Amazonas, amateur radio satellite, Advanced Extremely High Frequency, Blagovest, Tarshish, Sweden, Sikh Confederacy, Reman, Persia, Kingdom of Wolaita, Kingdom of Martabam-hongsawatoi, Havilah, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chinland, Calvinist Republic of Ghent, Globalstar second generation, Iridium NEXT, Intelsat IVA, Intelsat II, I-4 satellite, Hot Bird, Hispasat, HealthNet, GSAT, Gorizont, Gonets, Gonets-M, Gonets-D1, Ashkenaz, Gals, Galaxy, Ekspress, Ekran, Ekran-M, Dong Fang Hong, Dong Fang Hong 4, Dong Fang Hong 3, Dong Fang Hong 2, DirecTV satellite fleet, Chinasat, 

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• 

  Queqiao-1 ⓘ
  Chinese lunar orbiter and radio relay satellite launched in 2018

• 

  Queqiao-2 ⓘ
  Chinese lunar orbiter and radio relay satellite launched in 2024

• 

  SES-12 ⓘ
  geostationary communications satellite

• 

  Telstar 18V ⓘ
  communications satellite

• 

  Telstar 19V ⓘ
  communications satellite

• 

  TurkSat-3USat ⓘ
  Turkish communications nanosatellite

• 

  Advanced Extremely High Frequency ⓘ
  United States military communications satellite constellation

• 

  Africasat ⓘ
  

• 

  amateur radio satellite ⓘ
  type of satellite that transmits amateur radio

• 

  Amazonas ⓘ
  series of Spanish communications satellites

• 

  Amos ⓘ
  series of Israeli communications satellites

• 

  Anik ⓘ
  series of Canadian geostationary communications satellites

• 

  Applications Technology Satellite ⓘ
  experimental series of NASA communications satellites

• 

  Arabsat ⓘ
  fleet of communications satellites owned and operated by Arabsat

• 

  Argos System ⓘ
  system for collecting electronic environmental data

• 

  Astra ⓘ
  series of geostationary communication satellites operated by SES S.A.

• 

  Astra 19.2°E ⓘ
  Group of communications satellites

• 

  Astra 23.5°E ⓘ
  Group of communications satellites

• 

  Astra 28.2°E ⓘ
  Group of communications satellites

• 

  Astra 31.5°E ⓘ
  type of communications satellite

• 

  Astra 5°E ⓘ
  TV satellite information

• 

  Blagovest ⓘ
  Russian military satellite system

• 

  BlueBird ⓘ
  communication satellites

• 

  BlueWalker 1 ⓘ
  American communications and technology demonstration satellite

• 

  BS ⓘ
  

• 

  Chinasat ⓘ
  communications satellites operated by China Satellite Communications

• 

  Comstar ⓘ
  

• 

  direct-broadcast satellite ⓘ
  satellite which sends satellite TV broadcasts for home reception

• 

  DirecTV satellite fleet ⓘ
  type of communications satellite

• 

  Dong Fang Hong ⓘ
  series of Chinese communications satellites

• 

  Dong Fang Hong 2 ⓘ
  model of Chinese communications satellites

• 

  Dong Fang Hong 3 ⓘ
  family of Chinese communications satellites

• 

  Dong Fang Hong 4 ⓘ
  family of Chinese communications satellites

• 

  EchoStar ⓘ
  fleet of communications satellites operated by EchoStar

• 

  ECS ⓘ
  

• 

  Ekran ⓘ
  geostationary satellite

• 

  Ekran-M ⓘ
  

• 

  Ekspress ⓘ
  series of Russian artificial satellites for broadcasting and communications

• 

  Eutelsat 48A ⓘ
  communications satellite

• 

  Eutelsat 5° West ⓘ
  

• 

  Eutelsat 9° East ⓘ
  

• 

  Eutelsat W75/ABS-1B ⓘ
  communications satellite

• 

  Galaxy ⓘ
  family of communications satellites

• 

  Gals ⓘ
  Russian satelite

• 

  Global Xpress ⓘ
  communications satellite system

• 

  Globalstar ⓘ
  Globalstar's 1st generation of satellite constellation

• 

  Globalstar M086 ⓘ
  communications satellite

• 

  Globalstar M087 ⓘ
  communications satellite

• 

  Globalstar second generation ⓘ
  Globalstar's 2nd generation of satellite constellation

• 

  Gonets ⓘ
  Russian civilian low Earth orbit communication satellite system

• 

  Gonets-D1 ⓘ
  satellite family

• 

  Gonets-M ⓘ
  satellite family

• 

  Gorizont ⓘ
  series of Russian/Soviet satellites, launched 1978-2000

• 

  GSAT ⓘ
  series of Indian communications satellites

• 

  Harpoon ⓘ
  

• 

  HealthNet ⓘ
  medical satellite communication service

• 

  HGS ⓘ
  series of communications satellites

• 

  high throughput satellite ⓘ
  type of communications satellite

• 

  Hispasat ⓘ
  series of Spanish communications satellites

• 

  Hot Bird ⓘ
  fleet of communications satellites, typically operating at 13° East

• 

  I-4 satellite ⓘ
  

• 

  Intelsat II ⓘ
  1966–1967 communications satellite series

• 

  Intelsat IVA ⓘ
  family of Intelsat satellites

• 

  International Telecommunications Satellite ⓘ
  

• 

  Iridium NEXT ⓘ
  second generation of Iridium satellite constellation, operating from 2019

• 

  Iridium satellite constellation ⓘ
  satellite constellation providing voice and data coverage

• 

  Italsat ⓘ
  model of Italian communications satellite

• 

  KazSat ⓘ
  fleet of communications satellites operated by Kazakhstan

• 

  Koreasat ⓘ
  series of South Korean communications satellites operated by KT Corporation

• 

  Luch ⓘ
  series of geosynchronous Russian radio relay satellites

• 

  MARECS ⓘ
  version of European Space Agency communication satellite

• 

  Marisat ⓘ
  series of communications satellites

• 

  Mars 2022 orbiter ⓘ
  proposed NASA Mars communications satellite

• 

  Meridian ⓘ
  type of communication satellites

• 

  Molniya ⓘ
  Soviet communications satellite

• 

  Nadezhda ⓘ
  navigation satellite

• 

  Nimiq ⓘ
  group of satellites that orbit the earth

• 

  O3b ⓘ
  satellite constellation designed for telecommunications and data backhaul from remote locations

• 

  O3b mPOWER ⓘ
  communications satellite system

• 

  Orbcomm ⓘ
  type of low Earth orbit communications satellite

• 

  Orbcomm-OG2 ⓘ
  subclass of communications satellite

• 

  Orbital Test Satellite ⓘ
  

• 

  Orion ⓘ
  series of communications satellites operated by Telesat

• 

  Palapa ⓘ
  series of Indonesian geostationary communication satellites

• 

  Potok ⓘ
  

• 

  Raduga ⓘ
  Russian military satellite model

• 

  Raduga 1M ⓘ
  Russian military satellite system

• 

  Raduga satellite constellation ⓘ
  Russian satellite constellation in development from the soviet times

• 

  Raduga-1 ⓘ
  Russian military satellite system

• 

  Satcom ⓘ
  family of communications satellites

• 

  Satellite Data System ⓘ
  American military satellite communication system

• 

  SES satellite ⓘ
  satellite operated by SES

• 

  SGDC ⓘ
  series of Brazilian communications satellites

• 

  Sirius ⓘ
  set of communications satellites

• 

  Skynet ⓘ
  series of British military communications satellites

• 

  SMDC-ONE 1 ⓘ
  US Army satellite built for testing experimental communication systems

• 

  Strela ⓘ
  constellation of Ukrainian military communications satellites

• 

  Symphonie ⓘ
  first communications satellites built by France and Germany

• 

  Syncom ⓘ
  American geostationary communication satellites

• 

  TDF 1 & 2 ⓘ
  pair of French communications satellites

• 

  Telstar ⓘ
  The name of various communications satellites

• 

  Telstar 3 ⓘ
  series of communications satellites

• 

  Thaicom ⓘ
  series of Thai communications satellites

• 

  Thor ⓘ
  family of satellites designed, launched and tested by Hughes Space and Communications

• 

  Tiantong ⓘ
  communication satellite system

• 

  Tracking and Data Relay Satellite ⓘ
  type of communications satellite that forms part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System

• 

  Türksat ⓘ
  series of Turkish communications satellites

• 

  TV Digital Interactive School ⓘ
  

• 

  TV-Sat ⓘ
  pair of German communications satellites

• 

  VesselSat ⓘ
  

• 

  ViaSat-3 ⓘ
  constellation of geostationary communications satellites

• 

  Westar ⓘ
  fleet of communications satellites

• 

  Yamal ⓘ
  Russian communications satellite constellation

• 

  NATO SATCOM ⓘ
  family of geostationary military communications satellites providing service to NATO forces between 1970 and 2016

• 

  JCSAT ⓘ
  series of communications satellites

• 

  Morelos Satellite System ⓘ
  series of Mexican communications satellites

• 

  Solidaridad Satellite System ⓘ
  series of Mexican communications satellites

• 

  W Series ⓘ
  former fleet of Eutelsat geostationary communications satellites

• 

  Tianlian I ⓘ
  series of Chinese data tracking and relay communications satellites

• 

  Mexican Satellite System ⓘ
  series of Mexican communications satellites

• 

  OneWeb satellite constellation ⓘ
  satellite constellation

• 

  Continuous Broadcast Augmenting SATCOM ⓘ
  model of American military communications satellite

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Frameless

Olympic Game Communication Satellite Birds - GPN-2003-00018

Artemismodrp

Eurostar 3000 satellite 1

Artemisanalemmarp

Communication satellite being launched from Space Shuttle Columbia as part of STS-5

Eurostar 3000 satellite 2

Eurostar 3000 satellite 1r

STS-61-C SATCOM Ku-1 deployment

satelite morelos II

SES-14 with GOLD hosted payload

• SATCOM, The Future UAV Communication Link - Book by Nick Barua (Q1860)
• SATCOM, The Future UAV Communication Link - Book by Nick Barua (Q1860)
• The spanish participation in international projects of communication - scientific article published in March 2006
• SATCOM, The Future UAV Communication Link - Book by Nick Barua (Q1860)
• SATCOM, The Future UAV Communication Link - Book by Nick Barua (Q1860)
• Communication Satellites, Fifth Edition - book published in 2007 (English)
• Frank T. Davies Fonds - Frank T. Davies Fonds preserved by the Canada Science and Technology Museum Library and Archives.
• SATCOM, The Future UAV Communication Link - Book by Nick Barua (Q1860)
• SATCOM, The Future UAV Communication Link - Book by Nick Barua (Q1860)

Type	Subtype	Date	Description	Notes	Source
class	orbit		Queqiao-1	communications satellite, lunar orbiter,	Wikidata
class	orbit		Queqiao-2	communications satellite, lunar orbiter,	Wikidata
class	orbit		SES-12	artificial satellite, communications satellite, spaceflight,	Wikidata
class	orbit		Telstar 18V	communications satellite, space mission,	Wikidata
class	orbit		Telstar 19V	communications satellite, space mission,	Wikidata
class	orbit		TurkSat-3USat	CubeSat, communications satellite, technology demonstration spacecraft,	Wikidata
class	space object		Advanced Extremely High Frequency	communications satellite, geostationary satellite, military satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Africasat	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		amateur radio satellite	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Amazonas	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Amos	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Anik	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Applications Technology Satellite	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Arabsat	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Argos System	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Astra	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Astra 19.2°E	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Astra 23.5°E	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Astra 28.2°E	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Astra 31.5°E	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Astra 5°E	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Blagovest	communications satellite, military satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		BlueBird	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		BlueWalker 1	CubeSat, communications satellite, technology demonstration spacecraft,	Wikidata
class	space object		BS	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Chinasat	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Comstar	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		direct-broadcast satellite	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		DirecTV satellite fleet	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Dong Fang Hong	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Dong Fang Hong 2	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Dong Fang Hong 3	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Dong Fang Hong 4	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		EchoStar	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		ECS	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Ekran	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Ekran-M	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Ekspress	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Eutelsat 48A	Hot Bird,	Wikidata
class	space object		Eutelsat 5° West	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Eutelsat 9° East	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Eutelsat W75/ABS-1B	Hot Bird,	Wikidata
class	space object		Galaxy	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Gals	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Global Xpress	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Globalstar	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Globalstar M086	Globalstar second generation,	Wikidata
class	space object		Globalstar M087	Globalstar second generation,	Wikidata
class	space object		Globalstar second generation	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Gonets	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Gonets-D1	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Gonets-M	Gonets, artificial satellite, communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Gorizont	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		GSAT	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Harpoon	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		HealthNet	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		HGS	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		high throughput satellite	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Hispasat	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Hot Bird	communications satellite, geostationary satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		I-4 satellite	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Intelsat II	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Intelsat IVA	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		International Telecommunications Satellite	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Iridium NEXT	artificial satellite of the Earth, communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Iridium satellite constellation	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Italsat	communications satellite, geostationary satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		KazSat	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Koreasat	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Luch	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		MARECS	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Marisat	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Mars 2022 orbiter	communications satellite, planetary probe, proposed entity,	Wikidata
class	space object		Meridian	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Molniya	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Nadezhda	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Nimiq	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		O3b	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		O3b mPOWER	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Orbcomm	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Orbcomm-OG2	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Orbital Test Satellite	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Orion	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Palapa	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Potok	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Raduga	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Raduga 1M	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Raduga satellite constellation	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Raduga-1	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Satcom	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Satellite Data System	communications satellite, military satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		SES satellite	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		SGDC	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Sirius	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Skynet	communications satellite, military satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		SMDC-ONE 1	CubeSat, communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Strela	communications satellite, military satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Symphonie	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Syncom	communications satellite, geosynchronous satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		TDF 1 & 2	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Telstar	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Telstar 3	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Thaicom	communications satellite, geostationary satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Thor	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Tiantong	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Tracking and Data Relay Satellite	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Türksat	communications satellite, geostationary satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		TV Digital Interactive School	communications satellite, distance education, satellite television,	Wikidata
class	space object		TV-Sat	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		VesselSat	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		ViaSat-3	communications satellite, geostationary satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Westar	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object		Yamal	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object	1970	NATO SATCOM	communications satellite, military satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object	1985	JCSAT	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object	1985	Morelos Satellite System	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object	1993	Solidaridad Satellite System	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object	1998	W Series	communications satellite, geostationary satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object	2003	Tianlian I	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object	2010	Mexican Satellite System	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object	2012	OneWeb satellite constellation	communications satellite,	Wikidata
class	space object	2018	Continuous Broadcast Augmenting SATCOM	communications satellite, geostationary satellite,	Wikidata
link	article		missing article@		Wikidata
commons	image		Olympic Game Communication Satellite Birds - GPN-2003-00018		Commons
commons	image		Artemismodrp		Commons
commons	image		Eurostar 3000 satellite 1		Commons
commons	image		Artemisanalemmarp		Commons
commons	image		Communication satellite being launched from Space Shuttle Columbia as part of STS-5		Commons
commons	image		Eurostar 3000 satellite 2		Commons
commons	image		Eurostar 3000 satellite 1r		Commons
commons	image		STS-61-C SATCOM Ku-1 deployment		Commons
commons	image		satelite morelos II		Commons
commons	image		SES-14 with GOLD hosted payload		Commons