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Communication - When Was The First Commercial Communications Satellite Used?
When was the first commercial communications satellite used?
The first communications satellite, called Echo 1, was launched in 1960. Echo I was an aluminum-coated, gas-filled plastic balloon that was 100 feet (30 meters) in diameter. It worked by reflecting signals back to Earth, rather than actively transmitting them. Echo 1 remained in service until 1968 and its successor, Echo 2, functioned from 1964 to 1969.
On July 10, 1962, the first commercially funded satellite, Telstar I (paid for by American Telephone and Telegraph), was launched. Telstar 1 was capable of actively transmitting signals and was used for both telephone and television systems. The first broadcast, which was relayed from the United States to England, showed an American flag flapping in the breeze.
The first commercial satellite (meaning that its services were offered for sale) was...
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