Telstar 1
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.
The original Telstar had a roughly spherical shape. | |
| Operator | AT&T / NASA |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 1962-029A |
| SATCAT no. | 340 |
| Mission duration | 7 months and 11 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | Bell Labs |
| Launch mass | 171 pounds (78 kg) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 08:35:00, July 10, 1962 (UTC) |
| Rocket | Thor-Delta |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-17B |
| End of mission | |
| Deactivated | February 21, 1963 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Medium Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 952 kilometers (592 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 5,933 kilometers (3,687 mi) |
| Inclination | 44.8° |
| Period | 2 hours and 37 minutes |
| Epoch | 1962-07-10 08:35:00 UTC |
| External audio | |
|---|---|
| Felker Talking Telstar, 1962, Dr. Jean Felker's speech starts at 4:20, WNYC |
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