Final answer:
The rate of change of the satellite space explorer, given by the equation y = 2000x, is 2000 miles per hour.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking for the rate of change of the satellite space explorer's distance traveled with respect to time. Given the equation y = 2000x, where y represents the number of miles and x represents the number of hours, the rate of change is the coefficient of x in the equation, which is the constant speed of the satellite. Therefore, the rate of change of the satellite space explorer is simply 2000 miles per hour, because for every additional hour (x), the satellite travels an additional 2000 miles.