Module 2A Outer Space Nowadays, the entire world can learn about and be updated with any event that happens in any place in real time The use of the Internet is a perfect example of this accessibility and this is possible due to communication satellite, usually abbreviated COMSAT It consists of an artificial satellite located in space for communication purposes —receiving, amplifying and retransmitting signals Satellites are placed in different orbits according to the specific need of communication For example, a satellite in a geostationary orbit takes the same time as the Earth’s period of rotation to revolve — that is, to move around the orbit For this reason, the satellite appears to be in a fixed position when you can observe it from the Earth Arthur Clarke was the first to propose the concept of geostationary satellite, but he based his work on previously conceived ideas On October 4, 1957, the Soviets launched the first artificial non-communication satellite, Sputnik One year later, the United States followed the Russians and launched Project SCORE — which was the first communication satellite— and the US president sent a Christmas greeting to the world In 1960, NASA launched a satellite, Echo, which served as a passive reflector for radio communications The first truly geostationary satellite was the Syncom 3, launched on August 19, 1964 That year, it broadcast the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, to the United States These were the first Olympic Games to be transmitted internationally However, it was the Relay satellite that made the first television transmission across the Pacific Ocean, from the United States to Japan, on November 22, 1963 The use of satellites rapidly evolved and they became necessary tools for modern life Today, services not only include radio and television Satellites also enable ship, aircraft and military communications as well as GPS car navigation In addition to this, they transmit telephone signals and make weather forecast more accurate, among other applications Activities 1 Read the text and decide if the sentences are true (T) or false (F) Correct the false sentences a Geostationary satellites always stay in the same place in space b NASA launched the first satellite c Syncom was the first geostationary satellite d The first television transmission occurred in 1964 e Nowadays, communication satellite is very useful English Toolkit - Communication Photocopiable © Ediciones Santillana S.A / Richmond 2011 Communication Satellite Module 2A 2 Draw a timeline showing the evolution of communication satellite Type of satellite first communication satellite 1964 3 Memory challenge! Look at the timeline and When did the Soviets launch the first satellite? Was the first television transmission in 1964? 4 Complete the sentences with comparatives to learn more about satellites a When a satellite is launched at a (great) altitude, it takes (long) to complete one orbit b By 1965, the number of satellites in space became much (great) than previous years c Satellites are now (small) the early versions d Satellites are (reliable) fibre-optic cable 5 Science Fair! Invent a satellite for a specific use Look for information about satellites and their parts in different sources Make your own model and label it Explain how the satellite works English Toolkit - Communication Photocopiable © Ediciones Santillana S.A / Richmond 2011 write three questions using the Simple Past Your partner has to answer them without looking at the information