Revise: SatellitesCurved reflectors

Satellites orbiting the Earth are used for navigation, meteorology, astronomy and communication. The curved reflectors of satellite dishes allow signals to be sent and received over large distances.

Part ofPhysicsRevise: Earth and space

Curved reflectors

Man-made or artificial satellites are equipped with curved reflectors in order to make the signals they receive stronger. Curved reflectors will increase the strength of a signal for any type of wave – whether that’s , microwaves, light, or even sound.

As the waves reach the curved reflector, or satellite dish, they are reflected by the curved dish and brought to a focus on an aerial. By concentrating the from all of the waves reflecting from the dish onto the aerial, the signal it receives is made much stronger.

Crescent shaped internal reflector, incoming signals travel horizontally towards it and then bounce off at an angle towards the centre of the diagram and converging at a point of aerial focus