Satellites by type

first artificial Earth satellite

artificial satellite designed for telecommunications

satellite that covertly collects data for intelligence or military applications

artificial satellite specifically designed to observe Earth from orbit

thumb|nCube (satellite)|Ncube-2, a Norwegian CubeSat ( cube) A CubeSat is a class of small satellite with a form factor of cubes. CubeSats have a mass of no more than per unit, and often use commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components for their electronics and structure. CubeSats are deployed into orbit from the International Space Station, or launched as secondary payloads on a launch vehicle. , more than 2,300 CubeSats have been launched.

group of spacecraft working together as a system

artificial satellite generally less than 1,200 kg

artificial satellite used for military purpose

type of communications satellite that forms part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System

A PocketQube is a type of miniaturized satellite for space research that usually has a size of cube with 5 cm sides (one eighth the volume of a CubeSat), has a mass of no more than 250 grams, and typically uses commercial off-the-shelf components for its electronics.

A bio satellite is an artificial satellite designed to carry plants or animals in outer space. They are used to research the effects of space (cosmic radiation, weightlessness, etc.) on biological matter while in orbit around a celestial body. The first satellite carrying an animal (a dog, "Laika") was Soviet Sputnik 2 on November 3, 1957. On August 20, 1960 Soviet Sputnik 5 launched and recovered dogs from Earth orbit.

thumb|A Galileo (satellite navigation)|Galileo test environment Pseudolite in the [[Berchtesgaden Alps]] Pseudolite is a contraction of the term "pseudo-satellite," used to refer to something that is not a satellite which performs a function commonly in the domain of satellites. Pseudolites are most often small transceivers that are used to create a local, ground-based Global Positioning System (GPS) alternative. The range of each transceiver's signal is dependent on the power available to the unit.

type of satellite that transmits amateur radio