Satellite truck

High school (ages 12+)
Transportation

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/satellite-truck

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the vehicle type?Mobile communications satellite ground station (SNG truck)
2. What is the primary technology?Parabolic satellite dish antenna for transmitting and receiving signals to/from geostationary satellites
3. How does the satellite dish on the truck find the right satellite?The dish sits on a steady pedestal and can be pointed exactly toward a satellite in orbit, using electronics or a manual dial so the signal goes straight to the right spot.
4. Why do news teams use satellite trucks instead of cables?Cables can be hard to run in remote places, but a satellite truck can travel to any location and connect directly to space, so news can be shared right away even where no wires exist.

Satellite News Gathering (SNG): The use of satellite technology to transmit news footage from remote locations to a broadcast center.
Geostationary Orbit: An orbit approximately 35,786 kilometers above Earth's equator where a satellite appears stationary relative to a ground observer.