Definition
A smaller airport located within or near the airspace of a larger primary airport. In Class C and Class D airspace, satellite airports lie inside the lateral boundaries of the controlled airspace surrounding the primary airport, and operations at them are subject to specific communication requirements with the controlling ATC facility.
Plain English
A smaller airport that sits inside the airspace belonging to a bigger, busier airport nearby. Even though pilots are flying into or out of the smaller field, they still have to follow the rules of the bigger airport's airspace because they are operating inside it.
Context Anchor
Seen in Class C operating rules, especially when a pilot is departing from or arriving at a nearby airport inside the Class C area.
Derivation
From the Latin 'satelles' meaning attendant or companion. Just as a satellite orbits a larger body, a satellite airport sits within the sphere of influence of a larger primary airport.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots operating at a satellite airport inside Class C airspace must still meet the same communication and equipment requirements as those using the primary airport.
Intuition Check
Do not read satellite as meaning something in space. In this context, satellite means a nearby companion airport associated with the main Class C airport.
Example Sentence 1
Departing the satellite airport, the pilot contacted the primary airport's approach control before climbing into Class C airspace.
Example Sentence 2
Even though the flight was only between two satellite airports, both remained inside the Class C surface area.