In 2000, the first satellite for radio was launched thanks to efforts by Sirius Satellite Radio’s company founders. They lobbied the government for space access, raised funds, and saw the technological development through to the end. Soon after the satellite was in orbit, XM Satellite Radio followed suit. The two companies spent seven years in direct competition before merging to form the SiriusXM® radio we know today.
Since the year 2000, several additional satellites have been pushed into orbit. The below image illustrates how the current set of satellites (four in total) sit above North America and transmit and receive data so that you can get SiriusXM® programming in your car.
If you’re curious to know more of the details about how satellite radio technology works, check out our blog post about it here. And, of course, if you like the graphic, please share!
Categories: Satellite Radio