Satellite

A satellite is a set of instruments, beamers, and/or signal boosters mounted on a special platform in orbit of Earth in outer space. It is used in a variety of roles including weather monitoring, GPS, monitoring of people, monitoring of celestial objects and numerous other jobs. Satellites can be used for taking pictures of the Earth as well as other objects in space.

Satellite communication suffers from signal delays, interference from weather, and has high costs to both setup and run. It is a form of line of sight communication. You don't need a very large receiver to intercept incoming transmission though, and the satellites get all their power easily from the Sun. A single satellite can also cover approximately a third of the Earth, giving them massive coverage.

Notable Examples

 * Hubble Space Telescope - This satellite is one of the oldest space telescopes and has enabled us to see in the farthest depths of space.