SATCOM 47, a late 20th century communications satellite orbiting Earth
A display of a network of artificial satellites
- You may also be looking for a natural satellite, otherwise known as a moon.
An artificial satellite was a man-made form of technology that is put in orbit around a planet. (VOY: "Future's End, Part II") They had countless applications, including defense, weather forecast, surveillance and communication, and were used by many cultures.
Earth
Earth launched its first artificial satellite, Sputnik, in 1957. This milestone was monitored by a Vulcan team. (ENT: "Carbon Creek")
By 1968, weather satellites were used.
By the late 20th century, the cryonics fad had resulted in cryonics satellites being put into Earth's orbit.
According to Tom Paris, by 1996 Earth had surveillance satellites in orbit. satellite dishes were in use for communication with satellites. (VOY: "Future's End")
In 2024 one news services used satellite images to assess what was happening in Sanctuary District A during the Bell Riots. The images showed a number of potential casualties. (DS9: "Past Tense, Part II")
By 2154, Starfleet Operations operated a grid of satelites in Earth orbit, capable of picking up any transporter activity on the planet. (ENT: "Affliction")
Vulcan
In 2097, the Vulcan High Command s put a Surveillance satellite in orbit of Weytahn to monitor potential violations of the Treaty of 2097. (ENT: "Cease Fire")
By 2154, Vulcan had a network of security satellites in orbit, providing Satellite surveillance. (ENT: "Awakening")
United Federation of Planets
By the second half of the 24th century, Earth relied on a network of Federation communications satellites for communications. (DS9: "Past Tense, Part I"). Navigational control satellites were also in use, one of which was in orbit of Saturn. (TNG: "The First Duty")
By 2370, the Prytt Alliance became concerned that the Federation was helping the Kes to develop attack satellites, and claimed to have developed countermeasures. TNG: "Attached")
By 2372, the Federation had deployed a relay satellite on the Gamma Quadrant side of the Bajoran wormhole. DS9: "Paradise Lost")
Other species
Lazarus claimed to have survived the destruction of his civilization by being occupied with inspecting magnetic communications satellites when the destruction happened. (TOS: "The Alternative Factor")
The Xindi-Arboreal colony colony visited by in 2153 had no artificial satellites. (ENT: "The Shipment")
Satellites were used to generate the dispersion field protecting parts of the Torothan homeworld from orbital scans. (ENT: "Desert Crossing")
by 2151 Valakis had many satellites in orbit. (ENT: "Dear Doctor")
In 2153, the Azati Prime system featured a extremely sensitive security net, provided by a large array incorporating thousand of satellites. (ENT: "Azati Prime")
By 2267, the Eminian Union was using Tricobalt satellites in the Eminiar-Vendikar War. (TOS: "A Taste of Armageddon")
Sometime before the destruction of the Vaadwaur homeworld in the 1484, the Vaadwaur put a sentry satellite in geostationary orbit above one of their cities. (VOY: "Dragon's Teeth")
A Kohl planet devastated by solar flares in 2353 was in 2372 still orbited by several now-nonfunctional communications satellites. (VOY: "The Thaw")
In 2366, the Romulans claimed to be doing Archaeological research on Nelvana III, using a cloaked satellite. (TNG: "The Defector")
A moon located in the Gamma Quadrant was orbited by a network of artificial satellites which attacked starships nearby and protected the imprisoned Ennis and Nol-Ennis. (DS9: "Battle Lines")
By 2373, Taresia was defended by a high-density polaron grid, generated by a network of satellites. (VOY: "Favorite Son")
By 2376, the orbit of the Qomar homeworld was so filled with spaceships and satellites that entering it felt like navigating an obstacle course. (VOY: "Virtuoso")
List of artificial satellites
- Named
- By Type
- surveillance and research
- Spy satellite
- Soviet spy satellite
- Security satellite (also known as Recon satellite, Sentry satellite or surveillance satellite)
- weather satellite
- Monitor beacon satellite (2120s)
- Spy satellite
- communication and navigation
- defense
- Tricobalt satellite
- Attack satellite (2370 - possibly only theoretical)
- varia
- Cryonics satellite
- Ultraviolet satellite (2260s)
- Co-orbital satellite
Background
Satellites seem so common in the Star Trek universe that their absence was an indicator that the planet did not harbor a warp-capable civilization. (for example in "Strange New World"), "Civilization", "Time and Again"), or alternatively that a planet was only a minor outpost. (for example in "The Shipment").
See also
- Satellite surveillance
- satellite dish
- Satellite grid