aeronautics: The study, design and building of aircrafts.
angle of inclination: The angle of a satellite’s orbit in relation to the equator.
antenna: Long, thing rods designed to send and receive electromagnetic waves for communication purposes.
areocentric orbit: Describes anything orbiting around Mars.
artificial satellite: A satellite that is manmade.
astronomical satellites: A type of satellite used to study other planets and galaxies, as well as other objects that are in space.
astrophotography: A category of photography which captures objects in space through various techniques including extended exposure and special filters.
bird: Slang for a communications satellite.
biosatellites: Satellites which carry living organisms for experiments and study.
body: See bus.
bus: The technical term for the body of a satellite. A bus contains all of scientific equipment of the satellite.
CNSA: "China National Space Administration;" governing body for space travel and exploration in the People's Republic of China.
centric classification: A category of orbits a satellite may follow around an object which include galacto-centric, heliocentric, geocentric and areocentric.
communications satellites: Satellites launched for the purpose of serving telecommunications networks.
Constellation Program: An initiative launched by NASA to create space vehicles.
dawn to dusk orbit: An orbit in which a satellite is always in the sun, enabling it to be almost completely solar powered.
deep space: Area outside the gravitational pull of earth.
Earth observation satellite: This type of satellite is used to study various aspects of Earth, including weather patterns, population growth and migration and the oceans.
eccentricity: A mathematical measure of the amount of sway in a satellite's orbit.
elliptical orbit: An orbit that resembles a flattened circle.
equator: An imaginary line that runs east/west around the Earth halfway between the north and south pole.
equatorial orbit: An orbit that follows the Earth’s equator.
ESA: "European Space Agency;" governing body for space exploration in Europe, based in Paris, France.
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