The footprint of a

communications satellite A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Earth ...

is the ground area that its transponders offer

coverage Coverage may refer to: Filmmaking * Coverage (lens), the size of the image a lens can produce * Camera coverage, the amount of footage shot and different camera setups used in filming a scene * Script coverage, a short summary of a script, writ ...

, and determines the satellite dish

diameter In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose endpoints lie on the circle. It can also be defined as the longest chord of the circle. Both definitions are also valid f ...

required to receive each transponder's signal. There is usually a different map for each transponder (or group of transponders), as each may be aimed to cover different areas. Footprint maps usually show either the estimated minimum satellite dish

required or the signal strength in each area measured in

dBW The decibel watt (dBW or dBW) is a unit for the measurement of the strength of a signal expressed in decibels relative to one watt. It is used because of its capability to express both very large and very small values of power in a short range of ...

External links

Links to fleet information and footprints
from SES.

from Intelsat for their fleet of satellites.
Links to interactive maps
for SES World Skies's fleet of satellites.
Link to maps
for Russian Satellite Communications Company satellites
Link to satellite footprints
from SatBeams for Geostationary satellites
Satellite footprints
as images and on Google Earth Satellites Satellite broadcasting