National Geographic

UNITEDSTATES814``````CHINA205``````RUSSIA140``````86Ǔ5866,$COLLABORATION5``````OTHERS578``````CommercialGovernment/civic/military``````More than 1,700 satellites orbit aboveus, some as much as 100,000 milesoverhead. They collect images andother data, broadcast information, trackour locations, and even listen to ourconversations. U.S. public institutionsand companies operate most satellites,with commercial launches already faroutstripping the government’s.``````3ODQHW202 satellites7KLVFRPSDQ\ŠVƄHHWhas grown from justfour satellites in 2013.``````2WKHUVDWHOOLWHVAbout 60 countriesoperate the remainingsatellites in orbit.``````Some satellites aremultipurpose, like thisone, which is used forEarth observation,communications,and space science.``````Lighter shadesindicate satellitesjointly owned withanother country. (DUWKREVHUYDWLRQCollect data for intelligence gatheringand environmental monitoring&RPPXQLFDWLRQVSend point-to-point andbroadcast transmissions1DYLJDWLRQWLPLQJDQGWUDFNLQJTrack ships, aid navigation, and synchro-nize timing for computer systems7HFKQRORJ\GHYHORSPHQWTest new technology and developexperimental payloads6SDFHVFLHQFHRWKHUCollect data about space andSXUVXHRWKHUVFLHQWLƃFLQTXLULHV3HRSOHŠV/LEHUDWLRQ$UP\39 satellites``````0LQLVWU\RI'HIHQVH81 satellitesJASON TREAT AND RYAN T. WILLIAMS, NGM STAFFSOURCES: UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS; PLANETTHE GLOBEWATCHING