Space segment

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

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/space-segment

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 dominant power generation?Photovoltaic solar arrays, with advanced battery technologies for energy storage
2. What is the key technological drivers?Miniaturization, increased computational power, advanced materials, and propulsion efficiency
3. Why do we need satellites in the space segment?Satellites send signals that let our phones talk, help GPS find our way, and give scientists pictures of Earth to study weather and climate.
4. How do satellites stay powered in space?They use big solar panels that soak up sunlight and turn it into electricity, and they also have batteries to keep working when the Sun is not shining.

Telemetry: The process of recording and transmitting the readings of an instrument to an observer.
Attitude Control: The process of maintaining a spacecraft's orientation in space relative to Earth or other celestial bodies.
Payload: The equipment or instruments carried by a spacecraft for its specific mission.