Telstar Is Launched
Telstar, launched on July 10, 1962, marked a significant milestone in the history of telecommunications as the first privately owned satellite and the first practical telecommunications satellite. Constructed by Bell Laboratories for AT&T and launched aboard a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, Telstar was a three-foot sphere weighing approximately 170 pounds. Its primary function was to receive broadcasts from ground stations and retransmit them, a groundbreaking capability at the time. On the day of its launch, Telstar achieved its first successful task by relaying images of an American flag waving. Shortly after, it facilitated the first transatlantic television signals and the first satellite telephone call, showcasing its innovative technology. Although Telstar was an experimental satellite and became nonoperational by February 21, 1963, it laid the groundwork for numerous successors in the field of satellite communications. The launch of Telstar represents a pivotal moment that transformed global communication, highlighting the collaborative efforts of government agencies and private enterprises in advancing technology.
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Telstar Is Launched
Telstar Is Launched
The telecommunications satellite Telstar was launched on July 10, 1962, aboard a Delta rocket from the American space facility at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Although the launch took place under the auspices of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Telstar was the first privately owned satellite, having been constructed by the Bell Laboratories division of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T). Telstar was also the first practical telecommunications satellite.
A three-foot sphere, Telstar weighed approximately 170 pounds. It was designed to receive transmissions from ground stations and rebroadcast them to other coordinates on Earth, a commonplace task today but very new in 1962. The first such rebroadcast took place on the day of Telstar's launch, when it successfully relayed television pictures of an American flag waving. Orbiting Earth every two and a half hours, Telstar also relayed the first transatlantic television signals some two weeks later on July 23, 1962, as well as the first telephone call made via satellite. Since it was only an experimental satellite, Telstar was short-lived and became nonoperational on February 21, 1963, but it has had many dozens of successors sponsored by NASA, AT&T, and other entities.