What satellites are used for
Pro Research Analysisby 
Searched over 200M research papers
The Multifaceted Uses of Satellites
Satellites play a crucial role in modern technology, providing a wide array of services that impact various aspects of daily life and industry. This article explores the diverse applications of satellites, highlighting their importance in communication, Internet access, remote sensing, scientific research, and more.
Satellite-Based Internet Access
Satellites are integral to providing Internet access, especially in remote and underserved areas. They interconnect heterogeneous network segments and offer ubiquitous direct Internet access to homes and businesses. Satellite-based Internet systems involve complex architectures that include multiple access control, routing, and satellite transport, seamlessly integrating satellite networks into the global Internet infrastructure.
Wideband Communications
Communications satellites are extensively used in wideband communication systems due to their economic benefits and unique capabilities. They meet the growing demand for wideband access by developing new concepts and optimizing existing systems. Satellite-based systems often provide cost-effective solutions that are difficult to achieve with other technologies, ensuring their continued importance in wideband access.
Small Satellites and Their Impact
The advent of small satellites, enabled by advancements in microelectronics, has revolutionized the space industry. These miniaturized satellites, including CubeSats, NanoSats, MiniSats, and MicroSats, offer significant reductions in volume, mass, development time, and cost. They are used for a variety of purposes, including Earth observation, scientific research, technology demonstration, and education. Small satellites provide a low-cost platform for missions and are increasingly forming spaceborne wireless sensor networks, playing a vital role in the future Internet of Space (IoS) .
Broadcasting and Mobile Communications
Satellites are widely used in broadcasting, providing reliable and low-cost television and radio backhaul and network distribution services. Their unique characteristics, such as being quasi-stationary in geosynchronous orbit, make them ideal for covering large, contiguous regions. This capability is also beneficial for mobile services, long-distance communication, and services across difficult terrains.
Supporting the Internet of Remote Things (IoRT)
Satellites are crucial for the Internet of Things (IoT), particularly in remote areas where terrestrial networks are unavailable. They enable the collection of data from sensors and the transmission of control messages to actuators over wide areas. Key factors for enabling IoRT through satellites include interoperability between satellite systems and sensors/actuators, and the support of IPv6 over satellite. Efficient radio resource management algorithms further enhance the performance of IoT over satellite networks.
Scientific Research and Astronomy
Satellites, especially small ones, offer cost-effective capabilities for scientific research and astronomy. They provide stable, high-precision photometry, long-term monitoring, and improved areal coverage, which are advantageous over ground-based astronomy. Small satellites are used to explore new observational parameter spaces in astrophysics, contributing to significant discoveries in areas such as binary stars, exoplanets, and the early Universe.
Conclusion
Satellites are indispensable tools in modern technology, offering a wide range of applications from Internet access and wideband communications to scientific research and IoT support. The continuous advancements in satellite technology, particularly the rise of small satellites, promise to further expand their capabilities and impact, connecting the world in unprecedented ways.
Sources and full results
Most relevant research papers on this topic