When you switch on the TV or check tomorrow’s weather on your phone, you are actually receiving messages from space. These messages are sent by satellites — man-made machines that orbit the Earth.
Satellites do not float aimlessly. They follow fixed paths called orbits and carry antennas and sensors. A TV satellite, for example, receives signals from a ground station and then reflects them back down to dishes on rooftops. This bouncing of signals allows live matches, news, and channels to reach homes around the world — even remote ones.
Weather satellites do something different. Instead of bouncing signals, they watch the Earth. Their cameras take pictures of clouds, storms, and sea temperatures. These images help scientists predict if it is going to rain or stay sunny. Some weather satellites sit very high in space, always watching the same area. Others move from pole to pole, capturing daily pictures of the entire planet.
The data collected by satellites is sent down to Earth in the form of radio waves. These waves are then decoded and turned into weather forecasts, maps, and images on our devices. Without satellites, we would not know about cyclones in time or be able to enjoy live TV across countries.