TELSTAR

Satellite Communications Glossary

Satellite Communications — Telstar

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Information on Telstar

On 10 July 1962, AT&T launched Telstar I, which was the first satellite to provide repeated transmission without delay. Telstar was launched into an orbit between 956 km and 5 633 km with 44.8º inclination. The 87.6-cm sphere weighed 80 kg and was powered by solar cells. Unfortunately, Telstar I’s electronic equipment was damaged by radiation from the Van Allen belts and only lasted until 21 February 1963. A more radiation-resistant Telstar II was launched on 7 May 1963 and was used for telephone, television, facsimile and data transmission.
     Telstar was a simple repeater that received signals at 6.390 GHz, amplified them and retransmitted them at 4.170 GHz. These C-band frequencies were chosen because of the ready availability of existing terrestrial microwave radio-relay equipment. The satellite power amplifier used a specially developed 50-MHz, 2-W broadband travelling-wave tube allowing colour television signals to be relayed across the Atlantic for the first time.


Other topics in our resources on Satellite Communications related to Telstar include: 
 
  • Satellite Receiver
  • SCORE
  • Relay I
  • Satellite system
  • Communications Moon Relay I (CMR)
  • Sputnik
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  • Explorer I
  • Arab Satellite Communications Organisation (ARABSAT)
  • Syncom
  • Asia Cellular Satellite (ACeS)
  • Orbcomm
    		•
  • Ellipso
  • Courier
  • Echo
  • Comsat
  • Intelsat

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