Pre-1940s
.
1895
Tsiolkovsky describes a
geosynchronous orbit.
1929
Noordung describes radio
communications with a space station in a geosynchronous
orbit using large antennas and solar power.
.
The 1940s
.
October 1945
Arthur C. Clarke's article,
"Extra-Terrestrial Relays" in Wireless World, suggests
global coverage with three satellites in a geosynchronous
orbit.
10 January 1946
U.S. Army Signal Corps under John H.
DeWitt, Jr., succeeds in bouncing radar waves off the
Moon.
6 February 1946
Zoltan Bay reflects radar waves off
the Moon.
12 May 1946
A RAND study proposes a synchronous
communications relay system.
October 1946
Stanford University begins meteor
radar studies; this is the start of meteor burst
communications.
.
The 1950s
.
21 October 1951
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
carries out the first use of the Moon as a relay in a radio
communications circuit.
8 November 1951
Researchers at the National Bureau of
Standards Central Radio Propagation Laboratory (Sterling,
Virginia) and Collins Radio (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) relay a
telegraph message via the Moon.
24 July 1954
NRL achieves the first voice
transmission via the Moon.
April 1955
John R. Pierce's article, "Orbital
Radio Relays," is published in Jet Propulsion.
29 November 1955
NRL demonstrates transcontinental
teleprinter communications from Washington, D.C., to San
Diego via the Moon.
1956
The first transatlantic telephone
cable (TAT-1) starts service between Britain and
Canada.
23 January 1956
NRL achieves first transoceanic
communications, from Washington, D.C., to Wahiawa, Oahu,
Hawaii, via the Moon.
4 October 1957
The Soviet Union launches Sputnik I,
the first artificial satellite, into orbit.
1958
The first teletype relay is
accomplished by satellite (Courier 1B).
29 July 1958
The National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) is created.
October 1958
A synchronous communications
satellite project is proposed for the U.S. Department of
Defense (DoD).
November 1958
NASA and DoD split the satellite
communications program; NASA gets passive systems, while DoD
has active systems.
18 December 1958
DoD launches Project SCORE, which
brings the first broadcast from space of a voice message,
with a delayed and real-time repeater.
1959
The second transatlantic telephone
cable (TAT-2) begins.
1959
DoD's Communication Moon Relay system
becomes operational between Washington, D.C., and
Hawaii.
May 1959
Jodrell Bank begins lunar
communications relay tests with Pye Telecommunications
equipment.
6 June 1959
A lunar communications demonstration
occurs at the opening of Canada's Prince Albert Radar
Laboratory.
16 December 1959
A letter of agreement between NASA
and Canada's Defence Research Board is signed for the
Alouette satellite.
29 February 1960
Department of Defense combines
synchronous satellite communications projects under Project
Advent.
August 1960
NASA decides to pursue active
satellite communications research; works out agreement with
Department of Defense.
The 1960s
.
12 August 1960
Echo 1 is launched.
October 1960
AT&T requests a license from the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for an experimental
satellite.
October 1960
NASA and DoD reach agreement that
NASA will leave synchronous work to DoD.
4 October 1960
DoD's Project Courier is launched,
with a delayed repeater.
November 1960
NASA awards a contract for the Relay
project's requirements to Space Technology Laboratories, a
wholly owned subsidiary of Ramo-Wooldridge (later
TRW).
December 1960
AT&T proposes a joint satellite
communications effort to NASA.
30 December 1960
President Eisenhower gives NASA the
lead role in satellite communications.
4 January 1961
NASA requests proposals for an
experimental communications satellite.
March 1961
NASA's communications budget is
increased by $10 million.
May 1961
RCA is selected over AT&T and
Hughes for the Relay project.
23 June 1961
DoD approves NASA's Syncom project
and the use of Advent ground stations.
24 July 1961
President Kennedy signs a policy
statement on space communications.
28 July 1961
NASA signs a cooperative agreement
with AT&T for Telstar.
11 August 1961
Hughes is selected for Syncom (a
sole-source procurement).
21 October 1961
The launch of Project West Ford is
unsuccessful.
May 1962
DoD's Project Advent is
canceled.
10 July 1962
Telstar 1 is launched, resulting in
the first transatlantic television via satellite.
31 August 1962
The Communications Satellite Act is
signed, and the Communica-tions Satellite Corporation
(Comsat) is created.
29 September 1962
Alouette 1, Canada's top-side sounder
and the first satellite by other than the Soviet Union or
the United States, is launched.
4 October 1962
President Kennedy names the Comsat
board of directors.
December 1962
The Conference of European Postal and
Telecommunications Administrations forms a committee to
study joining a U.S.-led global satellite communications
system.
13 December 1962
Relay 1 is launched, the first
communications satellite to transmit television
worldwide.
1 February 1963
Comsat is incorporated.
7 May 1963
Telstar 2 is launched.
10 May 1963
Project West Ford (also known as
"Project Needles") launches millions of hair-like copper
wire dipole antennas into orbit, creating an artificial
ionospheric communications relay.
26 July 1963
Syncom 2, the first geosynchronous
communications satellite, is placed in orbit; Syncom 1 had
failed during launch.
August 1963
An agreement is signed with NASA for
Canadian participation in testing experimental
communications satellites, including a commitment to build a
ground station.
November 1963
The Advanced Technology Satellite
(ATS) program initiated.
1964
The European Launcher Development
Organization is established.
21 January 1964
Relay 2 is launched.
25 January 1964
Echo 2 is launched.
May 1964
The ATS project is approved at NASA
headquarters.
August 1964
Intelsat is created (Interim
Agreements).
19 July 1964
Syncom 3 is launched.
1965
The Initial Defense Satellite
Communications System, which at first is called the Initial
Defense Communications Satellite Program (IDCSP), begins;
this will lead to the first operational military
communications satellite.
11 February 1965
The first Lincoln Experimental
Satellite (LES-1) is launched.
6 April 1965
Comsat's Early Bird (Intelsat I) is
launched.
April 1965
Molniya 1 is launched; this is the
first Soviet communications satellite.
6 May 1965
LES-2 is launched.
28 June 1965
Intelsat I begins routine operation
between the United States and Europe; this is the beginning
of commercial satellite communications.
21 December 1965
LES-3 and LES-4 are launched.
26 October 1966
Intelsat IIA is launched.
7 December 1966
NASA's ATS-1 is launched.
1967
The Intelsat II series begins; this
is the first communications satellite capable of
multiple-access transmissions.
February 1967
It is recommended that the prime
Canadian space technology objective be its applications to
domestic telecommunications and resource surveys.
1 July 1967
LES-5 is launched.
8 November 1967
NASA's ATS-3 is launched.
1968
TACSAT, the first satellite to
provide UHF mobile communications, is launched.
26 September 1968
LES-6 is launched.
January 1969
The first Intelsat III satellite
begins service over the Atlantic Ocean.
30 January 1969
The first, International Satellites
for Ionospheric Studies program satellite, ISIS 1, is
launched.
20 July 1969
The landing of U.S. astronauts
Armstrong and Aldrin on the Moon is relayed to Earth via
Intelsat III satellites.
12 August 1969
NASA's ATS-5 is launched.
1 September 1969
Telesat Canada is established.
.
The 1970s
.
20 March 1970
NATO I is launched.
16 May 1970
The first aircraft-to-aircraft voice
transmission occurs using LES-6.
31 March 1971
ISIS 2 is launched.
20 April 1971
The Communications Technology
Satellite (CTS) agreement signed between Canada and the
United States.
May 1971
The Intelsat Definitive Agreements
are signed.
3 November 1971
The first two Defense Satellite
Communications System (DSCS) military satellites are
launched.
20 December 1971
The first Intelsat IV satellite is
put into service.
10 November 1972
Anik A1, the first Canadian domestic
geostationary communications satellite (C-band), is
launched.
January 1973
NASA quits commercial satellite
communications research and development until 1978; some
projects remain until completion; and the ATS-G
canceled.
20 April 1973
The Canadian Anik A2 satellite is
launched.
July 1973
The Europeans decide to build their
own launcher.
13 December 1973
DSCS III and DSCS IV are
launched.
30 May 1974
NASA's ATS-6 is launched.
19 December 1974
The Franco-German geostationary
communications satellite, Symphonie 1, is launched.
26 September 1975
Intelsat IVA (a modified Intelsat IV)
is launched.
7 May 1975
Anik A3 is launched.
26 August 1975
Symphonie 2 is launched.
17 January 1976
The CTS (also known as Hermes)--the
first high-powered, Ku-band satellite and the world's most
powerful to date--is launched.
19 February 1976
Marisat I, the first communications
satellite to provide commercial mobile satellite services,
begins operation.
8 July 1976
The first Indonesia satellite,
Palapa-A1, is brought into service.
14 March 1978
LES-8 and LES-9 are launched.
15 December 1978
Anik B, the first commercial hybrid
satellite, is launched.
February 1979
France decides to create
TÈlÈcom 1, a communications satellite system
for domestic and overseas markets.
July 1979
ATS-6 is turned off.
16 July 1979
The Inmarsat Convention is entered
into force.
November 1979
The CTS is turned off.
The 1980s
.
6 December 1980
The first Intelsat V satellite is
launched.
1982
Inmarsat begins operation.
3 December 1982
The Advanced Communications
Technology Satellite (ACTS) Mission Need Statement is signed
by the NASA administrator.
4 August 1984
France's Télécom 1A is
launched.
8 May 1985
France's Télécom 1B is
launched.
20 November 1987
TV-SAT 1, another Franco-German
satellite, is launched.
11 March 1988
France's Télécom 1C is
launched.
28 October 1988
TDF-1, a Franco-German geostationary
direct-broadcast television satellite, is launched.
6 August 1989
TV-SAT 2 is launched.
.
The 1990s
.
24 July 1990
TDF-2 is launched.
12 September 1993
NASA's ACTS is launched.