Earth observation satellite
Earth observation satellites or Earth remote sensing satellites are satellites specifically designed for Earth observation from orbit, similar to spy satellites but intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, map making etc. 
The first occurrence of satellite remote sensing can be dated to the launch of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. Sputnik 1 sent back radio signals, which scientists used to study the ionosphere.
NASA launched the first American satellite, Explorer 1, in January 31, 1958. The information sent back from its radiation detector led to the discovery of the Earth's Van Allen radiation belts.
The TIROS-1 spacecraft, launched on April 1, 1960 as part of NASA's TIROS (Television Infrared Observation Satellite) Program, sent back the first television footage of weather patterns to be taken from space.
, more than 150 Earth observation satellites were in orbit, recording data with both passive and active sensors and acquiring more than 10 terabits of data daily.
Benefits of space exploration
The first communication "satellite" was actually a balloon called Echo 1 it was launched on August 12, 1960 and stayed roughly 1000 miles (1,609 km) above the Earth and didn't come back down until May 24, 1968. The first communication satellite that would be an actual satellite by modern standards was launched on July 10, 1962 and it was named Telstar. It allowed communication between the United States and Europe to occur almost instantaneously. Telstar operated for approximately a year before it shutdown, but even with its rather short lifespan, it proved that the usage of satellites as a form of long distance communication was possible and better than forms of communication before it. Now, communications satellites have many different functions and are far more sophisticated than the original ones. They can be used to communicate long distances in remote areas with the use of satellite phones. Airlines use them to provide internet service on their flights. They are also starting to be used to deliver internet to areas that are unable to get internet in any other way due to their location. The number of communication satellites has since expanded to about 2,000 in orbit that are able to provide continuous communication around the globe.