How are satellites powered (since there is no power source- e.g. hydro or coal- in space)?

Answer 1

solar cells

Answer 2

If they're no further from the Sun than Mars, they use solay photovoltaic panels. Beyond there, sunlight is too weak, so deep space probes use a radioactive source, plutonium, which heats an electron source, boils off electrons and drives an electric current round a circuit. This is called a thermionic generator. It produces about 200 watts, which is enough to power the instruments and radio transmitter. This power gradually drops off as the plutonium decays, but it lasts for decades. The Pioneer and Voyager craft, launched in the 1970s are still transmitting data back to Earth.

Answer 3

Satellites have on-board fuel for moving around in orbit--this is called "station keeping" and it uses miniature rockets to move around. Satellites move around all the time and need period corrections and sometimes move across the sky to new locations when the operator requires it.

Electricity for broadcasting is produced by solar panels. Some satellites produce 15 kilowatts. Newer satellites are even more powerful, such as those of XM and Sirius satellite radio.

Energy for moving a satellite is produce by mini rocket engines of varying designs and enough fuel is stored on-board a satellite for up to 15 years in service with enough fuel for several orbital maneuvers. In fact DISH Network and DirecTV satellites move around quite a lot as they move faulty satellites into parking orbits and move new satellites to replace the faulty ones.

Answer 4

Their motion isn't powered. It's sheer speed and inertia that keeps them in orbit. So.....
The only power they need is to power up their electronic circuitry. That doesn't take much, as the receivers and transmitters in satellites operate with a very high sensitivity and don't require much power. (In contrast to cheap circuitry on mass-produced items.....for example.....a typical 500W stereo speaker cranked all the way up might only pump out 1 W of sound energy - very inefficient).

Mostly they can power themselves with solar power from banks of solar cells and store energy in electric batteries and capacitors. In some cases, they can derive some energy from radioactive decay. The space program uses a lot of fuel cells to keep the astronaut corps going, but I doubt fuel cells are used in unmanned satellites. Fuel cells are kind of set up to only last a matter of days or weeks, usually. Satellites, once launched, are pretty much self-sustaining, usually.

Answer 5

Solar panels or nuclear power, I also heard about a new method they are developing where they let a long wire out from the satellite and it is dragged through the earths magnetic field which in turn generates electricity.

Answer 6

A few long range exploration spacecraft use plutonium as a power source. No other energy source has a high enough energy to mass ratio to power the spacecraft for the years of travel necessary to reach the outer planets.

Answer 7

You could be on to something with the coal powered satellites...

Answer 8

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Answer 9

They usually use solar panels. Sometimes even solar focussed power. Movement can be done using ion propulsion engines. There is also a new plasma propulsion technique recently developed in Aus

Answer 10

Hi. The deep space spacecraft (technically not satellites I guess) use radioactive material and a thermocouple to make electricity.

Answer 11

satellites are powerd by solar panel when they are near the sun and batteries when the are on the other side of the earth