Satellite Definition: Ultimate Guide from Sputnik to SpaceX and Beyond
Sputnik 1 launched on October 4, 1957, as the first artificial satellite. Explorer 1 discovered the Van Allen belts in 1958. The 1962 launch of Telstar 1 enabled live transatlantic television. SpaceX’s Starlink constellation began deploying thousands of broadband satellites in 2019, with plans for up to 42,000 by 2025.