how about a a patent for parallel parking

You kid. But with driverless cars emerging, I suspect we may well see just that.

You can already buy a Lexus which parallel parks for you. Don't know which, if any, elements are patented though.

That thought occurred to me moments after I posted.

The idea of parallel parking cannot be patented. A specific machine for parallel parking can be (and indeed should be, the inventors of a machine to do something that even many humans struggle with, should be well rewarded).

So if there were people in this satellite steering it, the patent wouldn't apply?

And if the satelite was remote controlled from Earth by a living pilot - would the patent apply then?