Satellite Internet Explainer – Key Terms

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the satellite internet explainer video. The terms emphasize the space and ground components, orbital mechanics, architectures, and notable systems.

Satellite internet

Internet service delivered via satellites, using a space segment of orbiting satellites and a ground segment on Earth to provide global coverage.

Space segment

The satellites in orbit that carry the communications payload for satellite internet.

Ground segment

The Earth-based equipment (antennas, terminals, gateways) that communicates with satellites.

Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO)

An orbit about 35,786 km above the equator where satellites stay fixed relative to a ground location; broad coverage but high latency; often uses relay-only ('bent-pipes') architecture.

Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)

An orbit roughly 2,000 to 35,786 km high; lower latency than GEO but requires a constellation for global coverage.

Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

An orbit below 2,000 km; very low latency with smaller per-satellite footprint; requires many satellites for global coverage.

Mega-constellations

Large networks of hundreds or thousands of satellites working together to provide global connectivity.

On-board signal processing

Processing of data directly on satellites to improve efficiency and reduce ground terminal complexity.

Optical inter-satellite links

Laser-based communication links between satellites enabling space-to-space data transfer and reduced ground infrastructure dependency.

Footprint

The geographic area on Earth covered by a satellite’s signal; vary with orbit type (e.g., large for GEO, smaller for LEO).

Bent-pipes

A GEO satellite architecture that relays signals with minimal on-board processing, leading to higher latency.

Latency

Delay in data transmission; GEO systems have higher latency due to long signal travel time, while LEO systems have much lower latency.

End-user terminals

Ground devices used by customers to access satellite internet; increasingly compact and easy to set up.

Ground-based networks

Terrestrial networks (fibers, cables, towers) that can be limited by geography, disasters, and density; often more expensive in remote areas.

Dual-use nature

Technology and infrastructure that serve both civilian and military applications.

Starlink

SpaceX’s mega-constellation of LEO satellites providing global broadband access and enabling internet connectivity from remote areas.

Global Xpress (GX)

Viasat’s high-throughput GEO satellite system used as an example of a large-capacity satellite internet network.