List of communications satellite firsts
Early milestones in the history of
communications satellites
.
Herman Potocnik
- describes a space station in
geosynchronous orbit
-
1928
Arthur C. Clarke
- proposes a station in geosynchronous orbit to relay communications and broadcast television -
1945
Project SCORE
- first communications satellite -
1958
Echo I
- first passive reflector satellite - August
1960
Courier 1B
- first active repeater satellite - October
1960
Telstar
- the first satellite designed to transmit television and high-speed data communications - July
1962
Syncom
- first communications satellite in geosynchronous orbit -
1963
OSCAR
-III - first
amateur radio
communications satellite - March
1965
Molniya
- first Soviet communication satellite, highly elliptic orbit - October
1965
Early Bird -
INTELSAT
's first satellite for commercial service - April
1965
Anik 1
- the first national satellite television system,
Canada
, -
1973
TDRSS
- first satellite designed to provide communications relay services for other spacecraft. -
1983
Mars Global Surveyor
- first communications satellite in orbit around another planet (
Mars
) -
1997