The first generating satellites were built and beamed their energy down to Earth.
Several satellites with amateur radio equipment on board have been designed and built by universities around the world.
The company is building several satellites for European organisations but has yet to win an order from the developing world.
Eureca is the most expensive satellite ever built by the European agency.
And the council is also scrutinizing another major space program: a $50 billion set of six satellites being built to observe the Earth itself.
Pars-2, is a remote sensing satellite being built and to be launched from Iran.
The satellite was designed and built by students and Russian scientists.
Most early commercial communications satellites were built for and operated by telecom companies.
The satellites are built by private industry, but to export any kind of military equipment, a contractor must first get a Government license.
It would carry a satellite designed and built in Italy, weighing around a ton.
