Telstar 1

Telstar 1
The original Telstar had a roughly spherical shape.
OperatorAT&T / NASA
COSPAR ID1962-029A[1]
SATCAT no.340
Mission duration62 years, 1 month, 3 days (in orbit)
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerBell Labs
Launch mass171 pounds (78 kg)
Start of mission
Launch date08:35:00, July 10, 1962 (UTC) (1962-07-10T08:35:00Z)
RocketThor-Delta
Launch siteCape Canaveral LC-17B
End of mission
DeactivatedFebruary 21, 1963
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeMedium Earth
Perigee altitude952 kilometers (592 mi)
Apogee altitude5,933 kilometers (3,687 mi)
Inclination44.8°
Period2 hours and 37 minutes
Epoch1962-07-10 08:35:00 UTC
← None
Universal newsreel about Telstar 1
External audio
audio icon Felker Talking Telstar, 1962, Dr. Jean Felker's speech starts at 4:20, WNYC[2]

Telstar 1 is a defunct communications satellite launched by NASA on July 10, 1962. It was the satellite that allowed the first live broadcast of television images between the United States and Europe. Telstar 1 remained active for only 7 months before it prematurely failed due to Starfish Prime, a high-altitude nuclear test conducted by the United States. Although the satellite is no longer operational, it remains in Earth orbit.

  1. ^ NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center. "Telstar 1". National Space Science Data Center Master Catalog. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  2. ^ Quarles, Philip (7 September 2018). "Felker Talking Telstar". WNYC. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.

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