For billions of years Earth had only one satellite: the Moon. But in the decades since 1957, our planet has gained literally tens of thousands of new satellites. The modern world wouldn?t exist without them. Satellites help predict our weather; keep track of crops and forests; discover mineral deposits; map our planet; and provide communication, television, and GPS systems that guide everything from airliners to the family car. Author Ron Miller tells the story of these satellites, from their primitive beginnings to the complex, indispensable machines that orbit Earth today.
