Satellites are allegedly in free fall around earth in the thermosphere where temperatures are claimed to be upwards of 4,500 Fahrenheit. But the metals used to manufacture satellites – such as aluminum, gold, and titanium – have melting points of 1,221, 1,948, and 3,034 F respectively.
The ‘geostationary communications satellite? was first created by Freemason science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke and supposedly became science-fact just a decade later. Before this, radio, television, and navigation systems like LORAN and DECCA were already well-established and worked fine using only groundbased technologies. These days, intercontinental fibre-optic cables connect across oceans, massive cell towers triangulate GPS signals, and ionospheric propagation allows radio waves to be bounced all without the aid of the science-fiction bestseller known as satellites.
Here are a few of the many technologies used for communication, data collection, meteorology, etc.
1. LORAN (Long Range Navigation)
2. Cell Towers
3. High Altitude Air Ships
4. High Altitude Platforms (HAA)
5. Lighter-Than-Air-Vehichles (LAV)
6. High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE)
7. High Altitude Long Operation (HALO)
8. Statsat
9. Airborne Relay Communication (ARC)
10. Helinet System
11. High Altitude Shuttle System (HASS)
12. Small Balloon System
13. Nano Balloon System (NBS)
14. Google Project Loon
15. Stratospheric Platform System
16. High Altitude Long Endurance Demonstrator (HALE-D)
17. Undersea Cables (90%+ of all com.)
18. DARPA
19. Ground Wave Emergency Network (GWEN)
20. Survivable Low Frequency Communications System (SLFCS)