Satellite Basics & Terminology
Any object (natural or human-made) that moves in an orbit around a larger object in space.
What is satellite?
Company that is the most commonly known satellite internet provider.
What is SpaceX?
Radio frequency band commonly used to send data to and from satellites.
What is Ka/KU band (or K band)?
Geographic regions that lack access to high-speed internet.
What is internet coverage gaps (or digital deserts)?
LEO stands for this.
What is Low-Earth Orbit?
Brand created by SpaceX that manufactures, launches, and provides internet through satellite network.
What is Starlink?
Invisible light beans used to allow satellites to communicate wat ultra-high speeds.
What are laser links?
Human-made debris and broken hardware floating around in Earth's orbit?
What is space junk (or space debris)?
Term that describes a network of satellites operating together.
What is constellation?
Satellite operating in Low Earth Orbit designed to provided internet to unserved/underserved communities globally.
What is Amazon Leo (formally Project Kuiper)?
Location-based technology that creates digital boundaries around a geographic area to trigger automated actions.
What is geofencing?
Starlink satellites started delivering emergency internet access to this country after it requested assistance?
What is Ukraine?
High-speed, always-on internet connection using wide-bandwidth data transmission.
What is broadband service?
Two older satellite internet providers who are known competitors to Starlink.
What is Viasat and HughesNet?
Feature allowing standard phones to connect directly to satellite networks when out of range of cell towers.
What is seamless roaming?
Theoretical chain reaction where colliding space debris creates a cascading cloud of permanent space junk.
What is Kessler Syndrome?
Earth-orbiting satellite that hovers directly above equator at a fixed location.
What is geostationary?
Satellite system operating in Low Earth Orbit designed to deliver global, high-speed, and low-lag internet access.
What is OneWeb?
Satellite systems extending network access to smart sensors and connected devices beyond cellular coverage areas.
What is Internet of Things (IoT)?
Primary regulatory challenge when launching tens of thousands of satellites into orbit from different nations.
What is orbital traffic management (or frequency allocation)?