Satellite Fever

Orbiting around the Earth, out of sight and out of mind, are hundreds of man-made satellites. You are safer and healthier because of satellites and so is the planet. Satellites let you talk to your friends across the continents. You watch live world-wide television with their help. They guide you when you travel and show you most interesting images of deep space. But how do you make a satellite that will work outside Earth's atmosphere, where it is 150°C in the sun and -273°C in the shade? How do you get a satellite into space without it falling to bits on the way? Some day soon satellites will be off to explore Saturn, the Sun and the comet 'Wirtanen'. They might even be delivered into orbit by space planes that would cross the world in under two hours.