Satellites

Maram Kaire

Early Life

Maram Kaire was born in Dakar, Senegal, in 1978. Since he was 12, he has been interested in astronomy. He read books about space and even built a telescope at the age of 14! At the time, astronomy was not popular in Senegal.

There weren't many jobs or courses in the field. His parents did not want him to study space, so he chose computer science instead. Later, he moved to France to study Systems and Network Engineering. After that, he returned to Senegal to inspire his country's interest in space.

Year born: 1978

Research Areas: Space missions coordination, asteroids, and education

"Space is open for everyone; it belongs to everyone."

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Space in Your Life Game

You may be aware that space exploration requires lots of technology, but did you know that some of that technology is used back on Earth to make people's lives better? Match the pairs to learn about the space technology in your life!

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Space Ports

Spaceports are just like airports or shipping ports, but for spacecraft.

They are places that will launch, and maybe even land rockets.

Two CubeSats, small rectangular satellites, floating in space above the Earth's atmosphere with clouds visible in the background — Image of CubeSats - a common modern small and lightweight satellite.

Space Probes and Robots

Since the 1950s, humans have sent robots and space probes all over the Solar System.

The Voyager probes have even gone beyond our Solar System into open space!

Illustration showing the Voyager probes near the outer planets, including Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The planets and their moons are depicted with the spacecraft appearing small in comparison — Artist's impression of the Voyager space probes

Uses of Satellites

Satellites are useful in lots of ways. They look at the Earth as well as space. They also help us in our daily lives.

A hand holding a smartphone displaying a map with a red location pin, against a background of green grass and plants — Smartphone with maps app

A satellite is an object which orbits another. An orbit is the curved path an object in space takes around another.

Space Stations

Did you know there are always humans in space?

Since 1971, men and women have been living for months at a time on space stations. These are spacecraft large enough for several astronauts to live there at once.

The International Space Station (ISS) is shown in orbit above Earth, with its distinctive structure including multiple modules and large solar arrays extending from either side, reflecting sunlight against the dark backdrop of space — International Space Station, as photographed by Space Shuttle Atlantis

Firsts in Space

The journey to space didn’t start with humans. Before astronauts, animals were sent to test if living things could survive the trip. From fruit flies to dogs, these animals played a key role in space exploration. Some, like Laika the dog, became famous for their bravery.