Telstar was the first active communications satellite (launched in 1962), and the first satellite designed to transmit telephone and high-speed data communications. Its name is used to this day for a number of television broadcasting satellites. From http://ctd. ... U.S. military MILSTAR communications satellite A communications satellite (sometimes abbreviated to comsat) is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purposes of telecommunications. ... An Earth observation satellite, ERS 2 For other uses, see Satellite (disambiguation). ... Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video signals (programs) to a number of recipients (listeners or viewers) that belong to a large group. ...

Description

Belonging to AT&T, the original Telstar was part of a multi-national agreement between AT&T, Bell Telephone Laboratories, NASA, the British General Post Office, and the French National PTT (Post, Telegraph & Telecom Office) to develop satellite communication. Bell also built the Andover Earth Station in Andover, Maine, and held a contract with NASA, reimbursing the agency three million dollars for each launch, independent of success. AT&T Inc. ... Bell Laboratories (also known as Bell Labs and formerly known as AT&T Bell Laboratories and Bell Telephone Laboratories) was the main research and development arm of the United States Bell System. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States federal government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... The British General Post Office (GPO) was officially established in 1660 by Charles II and it eventually grew to combine the functions of both the state postal system and telecommunications carrier. ... U.S. military MILSTAR communications satellite A communications satellite (sometimes abbreviated to comsat) is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purposes of telecommunications using radio at microwave frequencies. ... The site of the Andover Earth Station was selected by AT&T in December 1960. ... Andover is a town located in Oxford County, Maine. ...

The satellite was built by a team at Bell Telephone Laboratories, including John Robinson Pierce who created the project, and James M. Early who designed the transistors and solar panels for it. It was roughly spherical, was 34.5 inches (880 mm) long, and weighed 170 pounds (77 kg). Its dimensions were limited by what would fit in one of NASA's Delta rockets. Telstar was spin-stabilized, so its outer surface was covered by solar cells in order to always receive some power. The power produced was a relatively tiny 14W. John Robinson Pierce (March 27, 1910 - April 2, 2002), was an American engineer and author. ... James M. Early (1922–2004) was an American engineer, best known for his work on transistors and charge-coupled device imagers. ... The Delta family of rockets is used in an expendable launch system that has provided space launch capability for the United States since 1960. ... A solar cell, made from a monocrystalline silicon wafer A solar cell or photovoltaic cell is a device that converts light energy into electrical energy. ...

Telstar was equipped with a helical antenna which received microwave signals from a ground station, then amplified and rebroadcast the signal. The broadcasts were made from a series of somewhat directional feed horns distributed around the satellite's "equator". The electronics switched which antenna was active as the satellite rotated. A helical antenna is an antenna consisting of a conducting wire wound in the form of a helix. ... Microwaves are electromagnetic waves with wavelengths longer than those of terahertz (THz) frequencies, but relatively short for radio waves. ... In satellite dish and antenna design parlance, a feedhorn (or feed horn) is a horn antenna used to convey radio waves between the transceiver (transmitter and/or receiver) and the reflector. ...

The main earth receiving station was Goonhilly Down in the south of England and was used by the BBC. It was the international coordinator and the standards 525/405 conversion equipment (filling a very large room at that time) was researched and developed by the BBC and located in the BBC Television Centre London. Also with Early Bird in 1964 as well as the Summer Olympics mostly coming into Europe via the BBC, the main US networks, NBC, CBS and ABC all made their contributions from Europe mainly through the BBC. (N.Smyth-Irish) Arthur, The worlds first parabolic satellite communications antenna Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station is a large telecommunications site located on Goonhilly Downs near Helston on the Lizard peninsula of the English county of Cornwall. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion (US$7. ... BBC Television Centre (sometimes abbreviated TVC or TC) in London is home to much of BBC television output and, since 1998, almost all of the corporations national TV and radio news output by BBC News. ... Early Bird is the name of the first communications satellite to be placed in synchronous orbit on April 6, 1965. ...

Launched by NASA aboard a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral on July 10, 1962, Telstar was the first privately sponsored space launch. A medium-altitude satellite, Telstar was placed in an elliptical orbit (completed once every 2 hours and 37 minutes), revolving at a 45 degree angle above the equator. Because of this, its transmission availability for transatlantic signals was only 20 minutes in each orbit. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States federal government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... The Delta family of rockets is used in an expendable launch system that has provided space launch capability for the United States since 1960. ... Cape Canaveral from space, August 1991 Cape Canaveral (Cabo Cañaveral in Spanish) is a strip of land in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of that states Atlantic coast. ... July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 174 days remaining. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... In astrodynamics or celestial mechanics a elliptic orbit is an orbit with the eccentricity greater than 0 and less than 1. ... m. ... The term transatlantic refers to something occurring all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. ...

In Service

Telstar relayed its first television pictures (of a flag outside its ground station in Andover) on the date of its launch. Almost two weeks later, on July 23, it relayed the first live transatlantic television signal. The first broadcast was to have been remarks by President John F. Kennedy, but the signal was acquired before the President was ready, so the lead-in time was filled with a short segment of a televised major league baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. During that evening it also dealt with the first telephone call transmitted through space and successfully transmitted faxes, data, and both live and taped television, including the first live transmission of television across an ocean (to Pleumeur-Bodou, in France). President Kennedy gave a live transatlantic press conference via Telstar. July 23 is the 204th day (205th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 161 days remaining. ... The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. ... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 14, 20, 32, 36, 42 Name Philadelphia Phillies (1883–present) Philadelphia Quakers (1882) (Commonly referred to as Blue Jays 1943-1945 despite formal name remaining Phillies) Ballpark Citizens Bank Park (2004–present) Veterans Stadium... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 10, 14, 23, 26, 42 Name Chicago Cubs (1902–present) Chicago Orphans (1898-1901) Chicago Colts (1890-1897) Chicago White Stockings (1870-1889) (a. ... Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. ... The telephone is a telecommunications device which is used to transmit and receive sound (most commonly speech) across distance. ... Pleumeur-Bodou (Breton: Pleuveur-Bodoù) is a commune in Côtes-dArmor in Brittany, France. ...

Telstar, which had ushered in a new age of the benevolent use of technology, actually became a victim of the belligerent uses of technology during the Cold War. The day before Telstar was launched, the United States tested a high-altitude nuclear device (called Starfish Prime) which super-energized the Earth's Van Allen Belt where Telstar took orbit. This vast increase in radiation, combined with further increases during subsequent high-altitude blasts, overwhelmed Telstar's fragile transistors; it went out of service in early December, but was ingeniously restarted in early January of 1963. The additional radiation associated with its return to full sunlight once again caused transistor failure, this time irreparably, and it went out of service on February 21, 1963. For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... The debris fireball stretching along Earths magnetic field [1] with air-glow aurora as seen at 3 minutes from a KC-135 surveillance aircraft The flash created by the explosion as seen through heavy cloud cover from Honolulu 1,300 km away Another view of Starfish Prime through thin... Van Allen belts The Van Allen radiation belt is a torus of energetic charged particles around Earth, trapped by Earths magnetic field. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ...

According to US Space Objects Registry, in Nov 2006 Telstar 1 was still in orbit above the earth.

Experiments continued, and by 1964, two Telstars, two Relay units (from RCA), and two Syncom units (from the Hughes Aircraft Company) had operated successfully in space. Syncom 2 was the first geosynchronous satellite and its successor, Syncom 3, broadcast pictures from the 1964 Summer Olympics. The first commercial geosynchronous satellite was Intelsat I ("Early Bird") launched in 1965. 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... RCAs logo as seen today on many products. ... Syncom (for synchronous communication satellite) started as a 1961 NASA program for active geosynchronous communication satellites, all of which were developed and manufactured by Hughes Space and Communications. ... Hughes developed the AIM-120 AMRAAM, one of the worlds most advanced air-to-air missiles Hughes Aircraft Company was a major defence/aerospace company founded by Howard Hughes. ... Syncom-type satellite Syncom was a program of three experimental, active geosynchronous communication satellites which was started by NASA in 1961. ... A geosynchronous satellite is a satellite whose orbital track on the Earth repeats regularly over points on the Earth over time. ... Syncom-type satellite Syncom was a program of three experimental, active geosynchronous communication satellites which was started by NASA in 1961. ... The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, were held in 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. ... A geosynchronous satellite is a satellite whose orbital track on the Earth repeats regularly over points on the Earth over time. ... INTELSAT I Early Bird Intelsat I (nicknamed Early Bird for the proverb The early bird catches the worm) was the first commercial communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit, on April 6, 1965. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ...

Newer Telstars

The next wave of Telstar satellites launched with Telstar 301 in 1983, and was followed by Telstar 302 in 1984 and Telstar 303 in 1985. 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The next wave, starting with Telstar 401 came in 1993 and was lost in 1997 from a magnetic storm and Telstar 402 was launched but destroyed shortly after in 1994. It was replaced in 1995 by Telstar 402R, eventually renamed Telstar 4. Telstar 401 was a communications satellite owned by AT&T which was destroyed by a magnetic storm in 1997. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 2003, Telstars 4–8 and 13 — Loral Skynet's North American fleet — were sold to Intelsat. Telstar 4 suffered complete failure prior to handover; the others were renamed Intelsat Americas 5, 6, etc. At the time of the sale, Telstar 8 was still under construction by Space Systems/Loral, and was finally launched June 23, 2005 by Sea Launch. 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Loral Skynet is full-service global satellite operator headquartered in Bedminster, New Jersey. ... Intelsat, Ltd. ... Intelsat Americas, was the redesignation given to several Telstar satellites following their sale to Intelsat by Loral Space Systems in 2001. ... Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), of Palo Alto, California, is the wholly owned manufacturing subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications. ... June 23 is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 191 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sea Launch command ship Sea Launch Commander Sea Launch is a spacecraft launch service that uses a mobile sea platform for equatorial launches of commercial payloads on specialized Zenit 3SL rockets. ...

Telstar 18 was launched in June 2004 by Sea Launch. Telstar 10 was launched in China in 1997 by APT Satellite Company, Ltd. The upper stage of the rocket underperformed, but the satellite used its significant stationkeeping fuel margin to achieve its operational geostationary orbit; it has enough on-board fuel remaining that will allow it to exceed its specified 13-year design life. shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sea Launch command ship Sea Launch Commander Sea Launch is a spacecraft launch service that uses a mobile sea platform for equatorial launches of commercial payloads on specialized Zenit 3SL rockets. ... Telstar 10, located at 76. ... In astrodynamics orbital stationkeeping is a term used to descibe a particular set of orbital maneuvers used to keep a spacecraft in assigned orbit, either low earth orbit (LEO), or geostationary orbit (GEO). ... A geostationary orbit (GEO) is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earths equator (0º latitude). ...

Derivative uses of the name

Joe Meek composed a popular instrumental recording in 1962, named Telstar after the satellite; it was originally performed by The Tornados and covered by The Ventures among many others. Sound effects on the record, intended to symbolize radio signals, were produced by Meek running a pen around the rim of an ashtray, and then playing the tape of it in reverse. Template:For Joe Meek, mountain man Joe Meek (born Robert George Meek; April 5, 1929 in Newent, Gloucestershire — February 3, 1967 in London[1]) was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter acknowledged as one of the worlds first and most imaginative independent producers. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... Telstar was a 1962 instrumental record by The Tornados. ... The Tornados EP-cover 1963 The Tornados (in USA they were credited as The Tornadoes) were an English instrumental group of the 1960s, who acted as the in-house back-up group for many of Joe Meeks productions. ... Walk Dont Run (1960) The Ventures are a rock instrumental band formed in 1958, by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, two Seattle masonry workers. ... Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of movies, video games, music, or other media. ...

Former Bangles lead singer Susanna Hoffs also recorded a song called "Wishing on Telstar" on her 1991 album When You're a Boy. The Bangles were a popular American pop band of the mid 1980s, one of the new generation of independent all-women bands that followed The Go_Gos. ... Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles (2003 promo photo) Susanna Lee Hoffs (born January 17, 1959) is a vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the Bangles. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the Netherlands, a football club formed from a merger was named SC Telstar after the satellites. Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ... Stormvogels Telstar is a Dutch football club based in IJmuiden. ...

In the United States the heavy metal band Helstar took their name partly from the satellite as well. Heavy metal (sometimes referred to simply as metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. ... Helstar is a Heavy Metal band from Houston, Texas. ...

In Belgium, the Belgo-Dutch rock trio Telstar base their name on the Joe Meek song. For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... Template:For Joe Meek, mountain man Joe Meek (born Robert George Meek; April 5, 1929 in Newent, Gloucestershire — February 3, 1967 in London[1]) was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter acknowledged as one of the worlds first and most imaginative independent producers. ...

The Scottish band Telstar Ponies included Teenage Fanclub drummer Brendan O'Hare. Telstar Ponies are a rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. ... Teenage Fanclub is a Scottish alternative rock band from Bellshill, near Glasgow, formed in 1989. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The Telstar was also the name of a Ford car sold in Asia, Australasia and Southern Africa. The Ford Telstar was an automobile sold by the Ford Motor Company in Asia, Australasia and Africa, comparable in size to the European Ford Sierra and the American Ford Tempo. ... Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation and the worlds third largest automaker after Toyota and General Motors, based on worldwide vehicle sales. ... Karl Benzs Velo (vélo means bicycle in French) model (1894) - entered into the first automobile race 2005 MINI Cooper S. An automobile (also motor car or simply car) is a wheeled passenger vehicle that carries its own motor. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Australasia Australasia is a term variably used to describe a region of Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. ... Categories: Africa geography stubs | Southern Africa ...

A high school in Bethel, Maine is named after the satellite. [1] Monument to local veterans of the American Civil War in Bethel Bethel is a town located in Oxford County, Maine. ...

Adidas named its football with 32 black and white panels design Telstar. They were designed for use in the 1970 and 1974 FIFA World Cup tournaments. adidas AG (ISIN: DE0005003404) is a major German sports apparel manufacturer, part of the adidas Group, consisting of Reebok sportswear company, Taylormade golf company, Maxfli golf balls, and adidas golf and is the second largest sportswear manufacturer in the world. ... Buckminsterfullerene molecule (C60) A truncated icosahedron compared to a plain Telstar-like ball Telstar provided by Adidas was the official match ball of 1970 FIFA World Cup and 1974 FIFA World Cup held in Mexico and West Germany. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... The FIFA World Cup Trophy, which has been awarded to the world champions since 1974. ...

There is an Spanish company called Telstar. It is a manufacturer of freeze-dryers and other high-technology equipment. [2]

Telstar was the name of a mini-boss monster in Squaresoft's hit role-playing game Final Fantasy VI. The enemy was encountered in Kefka's camp while beseiging Doma Castle. Square Co. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Final Fantasy VI ) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Co. ... Artwork by Yoshitaka Amano Kefka Palazzo is a fictional character of the Square Co. ...

Project: Telstar is an anthology of robot- and space-themed comics published in 2003 by AdHouse Books. AdHouse Books is an independent comic book publisher based in Richmond, Virginia. ...

Telstar Drug was the name of a drug store in Calgary, Canada. The store's roof featured a neon sign in the shape of a rocket with the satellite on its nose. After the store closed, the sign was taken down and put on permanent display in the Glenbow Museum. Nickname: Motto: Onward Location of Calgary within census division number 6, Alberta, Canada. ... The Glenbow Museum is Western Canadas largest museum, with over 93,000 square feet (8,600 m²) of exhibition space in more than 20 galleries, showcasing a selection of the Glenbows collection of over a million objects. ...

Satellite High School in Satellite Beach, Florida has a student newspaper named the Telstar Satellite Beach is a city located in Brevard County, Florida, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 9,577. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ...

External links

• Walter Cronkite on the first broadcast using Telstar: http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/atc/20020723.atc.15.ram
• List of Communications Satellites
• Video of Telstar from the 60's hit song
• National Geographic Magazine article on Telstar from the May, 1962 issue