How to use this encyclopedia?

This page is intended for the Winhelp edition mainly

What's hypertext?

If you never used a help file before and want to know more about them, press F1

Hypertext is a set of electronic textual data that can be read different ways. Data is distributed in items that are not attached like cars of a train but marked with links which enable passage from one another when the user activates them. Links are attached to words or to images.

Using hypertext links

Hypertext is very useful to enable the reader to define its own way through data.

The hypertext sensitive zones are generally in green (it may change) and underlined. You can press CTRL+TAB to see all of them. To active one, just click.

For example, on a satellite sheet you may click for data on its country of origin, mission, launch vehicle, etc. You also can access the program it belongs to (if it exists of course) by clicking the upper left icon.

Organization of the encyclopedia

This encyclopedia is organized around a satellite "dictionary". Satellites are sorted alphabetically by name and gathered by space program when possible. Numerous other themes are available such as the countries of origin, the launch vehicles, missions, etc. Those indexes are chronological.

The encyclopedia is full of popup windows with technical data and maps.

Launched satellites are available in most indexes that apply. Satellite to be launched (in the future) are not in the major indexes until they are launched. You can find them in the launch schedule section and with the search tools.

Search of specific data

The easiest way to find something is to question the searching tool. If your search is unsuccessful either your keyword is unknown or your question wasn't understood: try to express it differently. You also can browse through indexes.
The WWW edition offers 2 searching tools: keyword based (those keywords were choosen by the authors to describe the page) and full text based (which lets you find any word used in the encyclopedia).

Satellite channels

You are looking for satellite channels/programs? Our WWW edition has external links to such information.
From a telecommunication satellite fact sheet you will find a direct link to the Lyngsat chart which contains the precise listing of content broadcast by the satellite. If you are searching for a specific satellite channel (which satellite broadcast this channel?) or for all satellite channels based in a specific country, you can check Satellite-address.

Year 2000 compliance

The Satellite Encyclopedia does not contain any programming, its just text with hypertext links and images. Therefore year 2000 does not interfere with it, only the software used to read the files (such as Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Winhelp or Microsoft Internet Explorer) might have y2k problems, but we do not provide them. Please refer the the software vendor directly to check y2k compliance.

Units

Unless otherwise specified, all the measurements are in metric units. Unless otherwise specified, all "$" stand for USD, EUR stands for Euro, the European Union currency.