Satellite Meaning
Satellite Definition & Usage
A small object that orbits a larger celestial body, such as the Earth or another planet.
Examples
- "The satellite sends real-time data back to Earth."
- "The communication satellite allows people to make phone calls in remote areas."
- "Astronomers use satellites to study the atmosphere of distant planets."
- "The satellite has been in orbit for over 10 years without any maintenance."
- "This new satellite will help monitor global weather patterns."
A smaller or less important entity that is dependent on or influenced by a larger, more powerful entity.
Examples
- "The smaller country served as a satellite state, under the influence of the larger empire."
- "Many of the companies in the region are satellite businesses of the multinational corporation."
- "She felt like a satellite in the meeting, always following the leader's opinions without offering her own."
- "In the world of academia, junior researchers often feel like satellites orbiting around well-established professors."
- "His career was just a satellite to the success of his more famous colleagues."
To place a satellite into orbit around a celestial body.
Examples
- "The company plans to satellite several communication devices in the next year."
- "NASA successfully satellited the new weather monitoring system last week."
- "The government will satellite a new GPS network next month."
- "We need to satellite these sensors around the planet to improve our monitoring capabilities."
- "The private firm has started to satellite research equipment for environmental studies."
Cultural Context
Satellites have been a crucial part of modern communication, navigation, and weather forecasting. Since the launch of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, by the Soviet Union in 1957, satellites have dramatically changed the way the world operates, providing essential services like GPS, satellite TV, and scientific data collection.
Orbiting Ambitions
Story
Orbiting Ambitions
Lena sat in the dimly lit control room, eyes fixed on the screens in front of her. The satellite she had worked on for years was about to launch, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride mixed with anxiety. She had been part of the team that designed its intricate systems, and now it was ready to orbit the Earth, transmitting data that would aid in predicting weather patterns for millions of people. It was a small victory in the world of space exploration, but to Lena, it felt monumental. As the countdown began, her mind drifted to her younger brother, Max, who had just launched his own start-up. While her work was focused on the expansive vastness of space, his efforts were grounded in the tangible world of business. He had started small, a satellite business on the fringes of a larger tech empire, and now it was growing—though still very much a satellite to the giants in the industry. ‘You know,’ Max had joked during their last phone call, ‘you might be sending satellites to space, but I’m sending data to businesses all over the world. Maybe I’m just a business satellite in a tech universe.’ Lena chuckled at the thought. She admired her brother’s ambition, even if he sometimes made light of his situation as a small player in the grand scheme of things. The truth was, Max had a point. Like a satellite, his company orbited the larger corporations, always at their mercy, but never completely forgotten. The satellite launch was a success. As Lena watched the screen flicker with real-time images from the satellite now orbiting the Earth, she received a message from Max. It was a picture of his new office, surrounded by large tech logos. ‘One day, I’ll be bigger than the tech giants,’ Max had written. ‘But for now, I’m just going to keep orbiting, like you did with that satellite.’ Lena smiled, knowing that both she and Max were part of something much larger than themselves. Both had their own orbits to follow, each crucial in their way. And as the satellite continued its journey around the planet, Lena realized that sometimes, it wasn’t about being the biggest in the sky—it was about making your own way, even if you were just a small part of a much larger system.
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