kommunikationssatellit

A kommunikationssatellit, known in English as a communications satellite, is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies signals for various forms of telecommunications, including television, telephone, radio, internet data, military communications and broadcasting. By operating in geostationary, medium‑Earth or low‑Earth orbit, the satellite acts as a relay station that receives signals from a ground station, amplifies them, and transmits them to another ground station or to other satellites, thereby extending the reach of terrestrial networks.

The first operational commercial communications satellite, Telstar, was launched in 1962. Since then the industry has expanded rapidly, with satellites enhancing coverage in remote regions, supporting mobile networks, and providing resilient communication links for disaster relief. Satellites in geostationary orbit, positioned at 35,786 kilometers above the equator, offer fixed coverage over vast areas, while those in low‑Earth orbit, such as the Starlink constellation, provide lower latency and increasing capacity for broadband services.

Key components of a kommunikationssatellit include high‑gain antennas, transponders, power sources (solar panels and batteries), and propulsion systems for station‑keeping and orbital insertion. Modern satellites often incorporate phased‑array antennas and flexible frequency bands, allowing dynamic allocation of bandwidth. With ongoing advances in manufacturing, miniaturization, and launch economics, the role of communications satellites continues to grow, supporting global connectivity and emergency services worldwide.