Telstar 1
The original Telstar had a roughly spherical shape. | |
| Operator | AT&T / NASA |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 1962-029A |
| SATCAT no. | 340 |
| Mission duration | 62 years, 11 months, 8 days (in orbit) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | Bell Labs |
| Launch mass | 171 pounds (78 kg) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 08:35, 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 |
Telstar 1 is a defunct communications satellite launched by NASA on July 10, 1962. One of the earliest communications satellites, it was the first satellite to achieve live transmission of broadcast 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.