In navigation, the Global Positioning System (GPS) developed by the United States and its European, Russian, and Chinese counterparts provide precise position, velocity, and time data to users worldwide. These satellite‑based navigation services enable maritime and aviation traffic control, autonomous vehicles, and consumer applications such as mapping and timing for financial transactions. The accuracy of these systems can reach sub‑meter levels, and the reliability is enhanced by having multiple constellations operating in parallel.
Satellite‑based communications remain a backbone of international telecommunications. Low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO), medium‑Earth‑orbit (MEO), and geostationary satellites carry television, radio, internet, and data networks. The emerging LEO internet constellations by companies such as SpaceX’s Starlink and OneWeb aim to deliver high‑speed broadband to regions lacking terrestrial infrastructure. These constellations promise low latency and high throughput, paving the way for new sectors and redistributing network connectivity.
In meteorology and environmental monitoring, satellite‑based remote sensing supplies continuous, global observations of weather patterns, sea‑surface temperatures, ice cover, and atmospheric composition. Data from instruments such as the GOES, Meteosat, and Himawari series inform public warning systems, climate research, and resource management. Satellite‑based imaging—using visible, infrared, and radar sensors—enables accurate monitoring of natural disasters and supports agricultural planning.
The term also covers scientific experiments that depend on satellite platforms for conducting physics, biology, and space‑weather studies that cannot be carried out on Earth. As satellite technology matures, new applications in urban planning, disaster risk reduction, and the Internet of Things are emerging, underscoring the importance of satellite‑based solutions for the 21st‑century global society.