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Supported by UK Space Agency

Satellite insight

Discover more about satellites and how useful they are as we try to create our own orbital objects.
Plan a session with this activity

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You’ll need

  • Scissors
  • PVA glue
  • Pens or pencils
  • A4 paper
  • Satellite-making materials (like recycled plastic bottles, cardboard, paper, boxes, tubes, packets and scraps of material)
Satellite examples and features
PDF – 905.1KB
Download Satellite examples and features

Before you begin

  • Have everyone bring along with them to the session the recycled items for making satellites, in as great a quantity as they can. These should be clean and ready to use as part of a craft activity.
  • Prepare enough copies of the ‘Satellite examples and features’ for one per group. Set out the materials to build a satellite in piles for each group.

Gain a satellite insight

  1. See how much everyone already knows about what a satellite is and what one does.

A satellite is a moon, planet or machine that orbits a planet or star. We usually refer the word ‘satellite’ to a machine that’s launched into space and moves around Earth or another body in space. There are thousands of artificial (man-made) satellites orbiting the Earth.

  • Many satellites carry cameras and sensors on board. Some take pictures of earth to track weather, while others take pictures of other planets, the sun, black holes, dark matter and even faraway galaxies. These pictures help scientists better understand the solar system and universe.
  • Other satellites are used for communication. This includes signals we send from our phones, as well as TV signals. These signals only travel in straight lines, so they aren’t able to follow the Earth’s curve or navigate around mountains and tall buildings that block the signals. Satellites are used to beam these signals around the world.

 

  1. Everyone should do their best to picture a man-made satellite in their head. They should try to focus on features and details. See if anyone can name any.

Satellites are all different shapes and sizes but each satellite will have these main parts: an antenna, power source and a propulsion system.

  • The antenna sends and receives signals, often to and from Earth.
  • The power source can be either a solar panel (that will turn sunlight into electricity) or a battery system.
  • The propulsion system has two parts:
    • After the satellite has been launched in to space, its main engine is used to propel the satellite to its final orbit around Earth, or to a distant object it will orbit in the solar system.
    • Smaller manoeuvring thrusters are used to turn, position the satellite or avoid collisions with debris and other satellites.

Head over to the European Space Agency’s website to learn more about satellites or check out Airbus’s video on how a satellite is built.​

 

  1. Split everyone into pairs or small groups and have each pair or group sit by a pile of satellite-building recycled materials. They’ll also need the ‘Satellite examples and features’ for reference.
  2. Instruct everyone to build a satellite using the craft materials and recycled items. Encourage everyone to be creative in the design of their satellite. Real man-made satellites come in all shapes and sizes, from the size of a shoe box up to the size of a large van. All satellites have a power source, a way of sending and receiving signals and a propulsion system.
  1. When the models are made, join the small groups together to form larger teams of eight to 10 people. They should keep with them all of the models they just made. Each team will need some scrap paper.
  2. Have a person from each team write down a word or draw a picture of something that relies on satellites to function. Do this on scrap paper, then scrunch the paper into a ball. This will be the team’s ‘signal ball’.
  3. Each person with the signal ball should stand on one side of the activity area and be the ‘starting satellite’, while the rest of each team should dot themselves around the rest of the space. Those holding the satellites become ‘satellites’, while those not holding satellites or signal balls become ‘space rocks’.
  4. Explain that teams must pass their signal ball from the starting satellite to a ‘final satellite’, using their satellites to pass the ball.
  1. Each team should choose one of their satellites or players to be the ‘final satellite’. The signal ball should be caught in the antenna dish, before being thrown to the next satellite.
  1. When everyone understands, run the game. When a signal ball reaches the final satellite, it can be unrolled and read out. Everyone in the team should then swap roles, create a new signal ball and play again.

Take it further by creating a gravity well

  1. Now, split into groups of three or four. Give each group a hula hoop, four bulldog clips and a piece of cloth or sheeting.
  2. Have each group stretch their piece of cloth or sheeting over the hula hoop and secure it to the hoop using the bulldog clips. Give each group a weight, like a hockey ball, to place in the centre of the cloth or sheeting attached to the hoop. It should make an impression in the centre.
  1. Give each group two marbles and have them try to roll the marbles around the gravity well. Groups should work together to make sure the marbles move in circles or ellipses around the centre of the cloth or sheeting, without crashing into it. Let each group complete a few successful orbits.
  2. Have everyone think about this experiment, and how it might relate to satellites in orbit around the Earth.
  • When two objects are in close proximity to each other, an attractive force acts to pull them towards each other. This force is gravity.
  • The weight in the middle of the sheet is earth, the marbles are satellites orbiting the earth. Newton’s first law of motion states that an object will stay in motion unless something pushes or pulls on it.
  • Without gravity, an earth-orbiting satellite would travel in a straight line. Gravity pulls it back towards earth. The speed and course of the satellite is adjusted so that it continues to orbit without falling back to Earth.

Reflection

This activity helped us to understand how satellites communicate with each other, and therefore how we use satellites to communicate using technology. When we speak face-to-face, we communicate using more than just words. We use pitch and tone, as well as body language. But when we use technology, emails and text messages, for example, we only communicate with written words, so the meaning of our messages could be misunderstood by the receiver. When communicating using these technologies, how can we be sure that our messages are clear and understandable for the receiver? If you’re sending a message to a group of people, how can you address the specific person you need to speak to?

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Scissors

Supervise young people appropriately when they’re using scissors. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.

Science

Supervise young people, and only do science activities that are advised and age appropriate for your section. Test activities first, to make sure you’re confident you can lead them safely. Use protective clothing where necessary.

Sharp objects

Teach young people how to use sharp objects safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.

Glue and solvents

Always supervise young people appropriately when they’re using glue and solvent products. Make sure there’s plenty of ventilation. Be aware of any medical conditions that could be affected by glue or solvent use and make adjustments as needed.

Rubbish and recycling

All items should be clean and suitable for this activity.

Active games

The game area should be free of hazards. Explain the rules of the game clearly and have a clear way to communicate that the game must stop when needed. Take a look at our guidance on running active games safely.

  • Increase the challenge of the signal ball throwing game by having satellites suffer from signal failure. The person leading the activity should indicate this when it happens, and the player should sit down. The team will need to redirect their signal ball throw to reach the final satellite. To make things more competitive, teams could race to see which can throw their signal ball through their satellite relay the fastest. But don’t drop the ball!
  • For added difficulty, one player could represent a deep space probe (like Cassini from the ‘Satellite examples and features’ sheet) sending a signal all the way back to Earth. This player should stand furthest away from everyone else.
  • You could also adapt this game to pass secret messages. Give each member of the team a piece of scrap paper and a pencil. The starting satellite writes a word and shows it to the next satellite along. That satellite draws a picture of the object described by the word and shows it to the next satellite along. That satellite writes down what they can see and so on in this way until the message reaches the final satellite. They should announce what they see from the penultimate satellite. Is it the same as the original message?
  • Focus on passing the ball without dropping it in the signal ball throwing game, if no-one wants to race. Roll the ball between satellites if throwing and catching aren’t possible.
  • Players could wear bibs or scarves in a distinctive way so that everyone can see what team they’re on in the signal ball throwing game.

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.

Scouts Astronautics Activity Badge

Try creating a gravity well to explore how gravity affects orbiting objects like planets and moons:

Arbour Scientific have made a handy video on constructing gravity wells that demonstrates each of the steps below.

  1. Split into groups of three or four. Give each group a hula hoop, four bulldog clips and a piece of stretchy cloth or sheeting (like Lycra).
  2. Have each group stretch their piece of cloth or sheeting over the hula hoop and secure it to the hoop using the bulldog clips. Give each group a weight, like a hockey ball, to place in the centre of the cloth or sheeting attached to the hoop. It should make an impression in the centre. This impression is the ‘gravity well’.
  3. Give each group two marbles and have them try to roll the marbles around the gravity well. Groups should work together to make sure the marbles move in circles or ellipses around the centre of the cloth or sheeting, without crashing into it. Let each group complete a few successful orbits.
  4. Have everyone think about this experiment, and how it might relate to satellites in orbit around the Earth.