The space age is here. Universe is the current buzz. Continents and oceans today are very small playground for scientists. The technology has made it possible for human beings to decipher the space today. And in this quest of space there is one prominent entity satellite. What are satellites? How are they formed? What is the purpose behind making satellites?

All these questions kept popping up in my mind during my childhood. And it was not until the high school, where I l learned about the satellites, when my queries were answered. Ever since then the study of satellites has become an obsession for me. However as for the questions, I don't think that I need to explain the definition to you. Still for few people who don't know its meaning, the dictionary meaning of satellite is a celestial body which revolves around another celestial body namely planet. Satellites are of two types. Artificial satellites are man-made and are used for various applications according to need. Natural satellites are the second type. They are nothing but the bodies which revolve around planet. The best example is moon which is the natural satellite of Earth. Now the artificial satellites are very costly. So why do they make it?

The purpose must be very important to justify such huge money and creative investment. And there is no denying that it has some very vital applications to serve. The most common applications are weather forecasting, surveillance and radio wave communication. Now the importance of weather forecasting is very high. Imagine that by correct weather forecasting how many lives can be saved. Also it helps in monitoring of weather and rain which helps in agriculture. The live satellite images of earth can help predict the weather behavior and accordingly adopt strategy to compensate for the change. The other usage of those live satellite images of Earth are surveillance of enemy nations. Based on those images the strategy of the other nation can be worked out and counter measures can be planned according to it. The other important usage of satellites is to propagate radio waves which help in facilitating radio wave communication across the world. Now it is this usage that makes radio communication, television broadcasting and mobile communication possible without much loss of data.

So when we analyze the overall returns that we get from such satellites and the cost price of making such satellites, we will surely find that the return is worth all the investment made in form of money, time and human efforts. So this is definitely a case where we can conclude that technology is a boon, if it is in right hands.