Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

How do satellites work?
7/2/2012 | POWERSBOOTHEFAN

Posted on 07/01/2012 9:08:55 PM PDT by POWERSBOOTHEFAN

Does anyone here have knowledge about space and how satellites work? How are they launched,kept in orbit and brought back to earth?

I'm a science geek and really curious about the universe.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: astronomy; geek; impulsive; nasa; satellites; science; vanity
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140141-157 last
To: NVDave

Yikes.


141 posted on 07/02/2012 1:37:43 PM PDT by POWERSBOOTHEFAN (It's hurricane season! Yay!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

That does help. Thanks!


142 posted on 07/02/2012 1:40:41 PM PDT by POWERSBOOTHEFAN (It's hurricane season! Yay!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: POWERSBOOTHEFAN

I didn’t know that.


143 posted on 07/02/2012 1:43:18 PM PDT by SERKIT ("Blazing Saddles" explains it all.......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 140 | View Replies]

To: SERKIT

I wasn’t being sarcastic. I was just responding to your “It’s not brain surgery” comment.

I have a general,but not extensive,understanding of how these things work.

I know there are people on FR who have scientific knowlegde so that’s why I asked.


144 posted on 07/02/2012 1:47:32 PM PDT by POWERSBOOTHEFAN (It's hurricane season! Yay!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 143 | View Replies]

To: POWERSBOOTHEFAN
Could I get electrocuted if I stick a fork in the toaster

That isn't a stupid question, but whether are electrocuted or not you have a strong possibility of negative effects. Especially if the obvious first response asks you if the toaster is plugged in at the time.

I thought one of the responses was quite good, as it referenced how you asked the question. Using the term 'geek' implies to most of the people who answered you a level of understanding of the science or math associated with the question. Since 'geek' didn't mean the same thing to you, you got the responses you did. There are some who responded with some good info, who overlooked your mistake, and are trying to help a lady. The problem arose from your phrasing of the question. Course once you got riled up, the type of resposnes you were going to get became predictable.

As you've seen, your question How are they launched,kept in orbit and brought back to earth? isn't one that can be answered easily (in a few paragraphs)unless you have the science and math background. The links that were posted demonstrate that.

145 posted on 07/02/2012 1:51:08 PM PDT by xone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 137 | View Replies]

To: POWERSBOOTHEFAN
Could I get electrocuted if I stick a fork in the toaster

That isn't a stupid question, but whether are electrocuted or not you have a strong possibility of negative effects. Especially if the obvious first response asks you if the toaster is plugged in at the time.

I thought one of the responses was quite good, as it referenced how you asked the question. Using the term 'geek' implies to most of the people who answered you a level of understanding of the science or math associated with the question. Since 'geek' didn't mean the same thing to you, you got the responses you did. There are some who responded with some good info, who overlooked your mistake, and are trying to help a lady. The problem arose from your phrasing of the question. Course once you got riled up, the type of resposnes you were going to get became predictable.

As you've seen, your question How are they launched,kept in orbit and brought back to earth? isn't one that can be answered easily (in a few paragraphs)unless you have the science and math background. The links that were posted demonstrate that.

146 posted on 07/02/2012 1:58:33 PM PDT by xone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 137 | View Replies]

To: greenhornet68
..and begin misspelling?

I have always felt that it is the mark of a shallow mind if you limit yourself to only one way to spell any given word.

Trust your spell-checker and homonyms will infest your prose!

I never new an engineer that could spell worth a dam!

Regards,
GtG

PS Spellcheck says OK, works for me...

147 posted on 07/02/2012 2:54:28 PM PDT by Gandalf_The_Gray (I live in my own little world, I like it 'cuz they know me here.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 114 | View Replies]

To: POWERSBOOTHEFAN
There’s a lot to learn.

The trick is to never stop...

Regards,
GtG

148 posted on 07/02/2012 2:57:26 PM PDT by Gandalf_The_Gray (I live in my own little world, I like it 'cuz they know me here.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 127 | View Replies]

To: Gandalf_The_Gray

That’s very true.

It doesn’t matter how old you are. :)


149 posted on 07/02/2012 3:17:32 PM PDT by POWERSBOOTHEFAN (It's hurricane season! Yay!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 148 | View Replies]

To: Caipirabob

LOL. Coffee gives me heartburn.

I’ll keep my soda away.


150 posted on 07/02/2012 3:18:43 PM PDT by POWERSBOOTHEFAN (It's hurricane season! Yay!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 112 | View Replies]

To: xone

I was given many good answers.


151 posted on 07/02/2012 3:20:55 PM PDT by POWERSBOOTHEFAN (It's hurricane season! Yay!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 146 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Yes any inclination will do. But all, including elipticals, must slice through the center. You can’t say “any orbit is allowed”. You can’t, for example, have a halo-like small orbit with the north pole at its center, spinning like a cap at the top of the world.


152 posted on 07/02/2012 4:05:34 PM PDT by samtheman (The Trillion Dollar ObamaCareTax definitely is a tax; just ask the US Supreme Court.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 118 | View Replies]

To: stormhill

I haven’t a problem understanding how satellites are launched or how they remain in orbit. What I don’t understand is how the waves that are sent from them and to them are narrowed down to one Television or one phone and number. Radio waves sent forth are the same for everyone and anyone can simply tune them in, the same for the old television waves, but cell phones and televisions now, somehow, are set up so that they can only get the information intended for that particular phone or TV. Also, they can be turned off and manipulated by the company on an individual basis. How are cell phones and TVs individualized so that they do not pick up general waves and instructions, but only the the information intended for the individual phone or TV? There is probably a very simple concept behind it, but I, at this point, do not know how this works and like to know the fundamentals of how things operate.


153 posted on 07/02/2012 9:28:26 PM PDT by Bellflower (The LORD is Holy, separated from all sin, perfect, righteous, high and lifted up.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: POWERSBOOTHEFAN
RE: "You guys are the ones acting like kids and attacking me because I asked a legitimate question."
I'll suggest once more, perhaps you may find a lot of valuable and interesting information at the NASA site regarding various type satellite systems, how they are launched, descriptions of the different type of orbital trajectories required, the "guts" of various type systems and their intended purpose. And there are so many books written for different levels you can look into at libraries.
NASA.gov
Enjoy the wealth of knowledge from so many sources, at your fingertips.
Bookmark the site and over time wade into the many things the site has to offer.
And I'm not going to loss sleep over thinking how I might have attacked you. Since I did not. I even paid you a courtesy of explaining what I meant by a "loaded question".
Do have a pleasant upcoming day.
154 posted on 07/02/2012 10:03:25 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle (Honor must be earned.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 135 | View Replies]

To: Marine_Uncle
I have no problem using NASA.gov.

Like I said,I wanted to converse with some of the scientists here,which I did. They gave me thorough answers that helped a lot. One even told me I was really asking about a type of math that would be useful and they gave me the name of a site,which I put on “favorites”. It explains quite a bit. Sometimes I can't find what I'm looking for.

My library doesn't have much on the subject.

I'm not asking anymore questions on anything,since I'll only be criticized.

155 posted on 07/03/2012 12:36:49 AM PDT by POWERSBOOTHEFAN (It's hurricane season! Yay!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 154 | View Replies]

To: POWERSBOOTHEFAN

“Does ‘JC’ stand for Jesus Christ?”

In the old days when I was a Navy pilot with my own crew, we were known as “JC and the twelve”, so I reckon you could
reasonably come to that assumption. Actually, we were just that good at accomplishing any mission assigned to us after other crews had failed, so take it any way you prefer...

JC


156 posted on 07/07/2012 12:33:37 AM PDT by cracker45
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 138 | View Replies]

To: cracker45

My grandfather was in the Navy as well during WWII. He was on a mine sweeper.


157 posted on 07/07/2012 12:48:26 AM PDT by POWERSBOOTHEFAN (It's hurricane season! Yay!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 156 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140141-157 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson