Satellite


 * This page concerns artificial satellites. For natural satellites, see moon.

Satellites were constructed objects sent into planetary orbit for various reasons.

History
In October 1957, the Soviet Union launched Earth's first artificial satellite Sputnik into space. (AUDIO: Unregenerate!)

Later in the 1950s, the Soviet Union "space dog" Laika was sent into Earth orbit. (PROSE: Alien Bodies) According to one account, Laika died in space. The Third Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith buried Laika on Quiescia. (PROSE: Alien Bodies) According to another account, Laika was rescued by an alien entity and given human level intelligence and human voice (taken from cosmonaut Marinka Talanov). The Sixth Doctor and Peri Brown encountered her on 10 November 1963. (AUDIO:  1963: The Space Race)

In 1959, CIA agents Jerome Weismuller and Hawk were assigned to find a US satellite that had gone haywire. It had been hit by a Nostalgia Tours bus. The Seventh Doctor recovered the satellite and gave it to the agents. (TV: Delta and the Bannermen)

In 1966, an alien satellite of the Chameleons, 150 miles above Earth, was the base of a massive Earthlings kidnapping system. (TV: The Faceless Ones)

In the 1970s, satellite time was of high value. Richard Dunbar offered the Fourth Doctor ten minutes of satellite communication time with which to contact an Antarctica team. (TV: The Seeds of Doom)

By 2009, Earth had about 5000 satellites, including the Archangel Network, (TV: The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords) and the Guinevere satellites in a parallel world. (TV: Turn Left)

By 200,000, Earth had five moons, four possibly being artificial and possibly including Satellite Five, which was a space station despite its name. (TV: The Long Game)

Up until 5,000,000,000, the National Trust had used gravity satellites to hold back Sol's expansion, but when money ran out these were turned off. (TV: The End of the World)

Behind the scenes

 * Satellites on the lunar surface act as obstacles in Level 3 of the online game Doctor In A Dash where, as with all levels, the Doctor's TARDIS (the player) races against a Dalek flying saucer, a Judoon rocket, and a Slitheen craft to find a Space-Time Manipulator.