What is the origin of the noun "satellite town"?

A satellite town is a town that is located in the outskirts of a major city. What is the origin of this name, satellite town? What does "satellite" exactly mean here?

Solution 1:

At OED.com* the 6th noun definition of satellite is firstly of a state (country, principality, etc.,) that is politically or economically dependant on and subservient to another. Their earliest quote:

[1776 T. Paine Wks. (1796) II. 24 In no instance hath nature made the satellite larger than its primary planet; and as England and America‥reverse the common order of nature, it is evident that they belong to different systems: England to Europe, America to itself.]

As you can see, satellite is being used in a metaphorical sense, so the origin is the astronomical definition of satellite. The meaning of satellite with regards to towns being:

A community or town that is economically or otherwise dependent on a nearby larger town or city.

Which you can see is parallel to the definition for states.

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Solution 2:

In space, a satellite is something that orbits (or goes around) something else. Usually the smaller object orbits the bigger one.

Geographically, then, a satellite town is a community located near a big city. Typically, there is some "attachment" between the satellite town and the nearby city (for example, a large percentage of the workers in the satellite town are employed in the city).

Solution 3:

'Satellite' simply means a 'follower' -- a smaller object or person following a bigger one.

[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=satellite]

1540s, "follower or attendant of a superior person," from M.Fr.satellite (14c), from L. satellitem (nom. satelles) "attendant" ...

The term was used in the astronomical sense by Kepler in the 1610s.

By extension, a thing dependent, and typically found around, a larger one of its like is a satellite.