The term was coined by analogy to planetary objects orbiting a larger object, such as smaller moons revolving around larger planets, and is used mainly to refer to Central and Eastern European countries of the Warsaw Pact during the Cold War or to Mongolia or Tannu Tuva between 1924 and 1990, for example.

Like NATO, the Pact pledged each nation to defend the others in the alliance. However, the Soviet Union also used the pact to keep control over its satellites. Through the Cominform, Comecon, and Warsaw Pact, the Soviet Union kept its satellites in orbit through the Cold War.

The Soviet satellite states were Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, East Germany, Yugoslavia, and Albania (Yugoslavia and Albania were satellite states until they broke off from the Soviet in 1948 and 1960, respectively).

There are two different types of satellites – natural and man-made. Examples of natural satellites are the Earth and Moon. The Earth rotates around the Sun and the Moon rotates around the Earth. A man-made satellite is a machine that is launched into space and orbits around a body in space.

1a : a celestial body orbiting another of larger size. b : a manufactured object or vehicle intended to orbit the earth, the moon, or another celestial body.

The Sun is the main energy source for satellites, which is why all satellites have solar panel arrays mounted on them. Each array contains thousands of small solar cells which are made of silicon – a material that allows sunlight to be turned into electrical current.

The Disadvantages of Satellites

• Costs are Prohibitive. Satellites are expensive.
• Signal Reception can be Spotty. Another problem with satellites is their somewhat unreliable signal.
• Propagation Delay is a Problem.
• There are No Repair Shops in Space.

Communications satellites help us communicate with people all over the world. Weather satellites help us observe the Earth from space to help predict weather patterns. Radio and television satellites beam our favorite songs, movies, and television shows to Earth for us to enjoy.

A force of 5g means that an astronaut’s weight is five times heavier than it is on Earth.

6 G’s

“And no blood in the brain means no oxygen in the brain.” Your brain cells hold a small oxygen reserve that can keep them functioning for about 4 seconds, Fan said. After that reserve is depleted, the brain will “shut down,” causing you to lose consciousness as the boy in the GIF did. This is G-LOC.