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Satellite Communications History Before Sputnik
By Editor | October 15, 2007
Some believe that the history of modern satellite communications started with Sputnik. This is not really true. The thoughts of an extra-terrestrial relay of communications had been in the thoughts of mankind for an almost incalculable amount of time. In fact I am sure Galileo Galilei had dreams of space travel and may have even thought of the use of “space based relays”. More recently however; we had Arthur C. Clark. Clark wrote what is considered the first well-known and circulated writing on communication satellites. His article titled “Extra-Terrestrial Relays” was published in Wireless World in 1945. The article discussed the possible coverage of the earth using three satellites in a 24-hour geosynchronous orbit to transmit television programs. His fellow man and scientists did not take Clark, like Galileo seriously until about 1957 with the launch of Sputnik by the Soviet Union. Clark repeated his thoughts in the 1951 and 52 issue of “Exploration of Space”.
In 1952, the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) called for the mid-summer 1957 until the end of 1958 to be an International Geophysical Year (IGY). The council in 1954 called for this time frame to be a comprehensive series of global geophysical activities. This time frame was also picked to be the launch window for artificial satellites that would map the surface of the Earth. The IGY technical panels were formed to pursue work in the following areas: aurora and airglow, cosmic rays, geomagnetism, glaciology, gravity, ionospheric physics, longitude and latitude determination, meteorology, oceanography, rocketry, seismology, and solar activity.
The knowledge of these varied areas of science would prove to be vitally important to the future of satellite communications history. Most importantly was the study of solar activity. The study of solar activity is important as solar activity occurs in 11-year cycles generally characterized by the number and intensity of sunspots and flare events. When a satellite travels through space that is energized by geomagnetic storms caused by increased solar activity they become charged with particles. These particles can lead to damage which in turn can lead to failure of electronic systems aboard the satellite. Newer technology that would follow in the coming years lead to smaller components that where more susceptible to this increased solar activity.
In 1954 John R. Pierce who worked for AT&T’s Bell Telephone laboratory was the first person to actually address the technological communication options available through orbiting satellites. In a 1954 speech and a 1955 article that followed, he seemed to expound on Clark’s thoughts of a 24-hour orbiting satellite fro communications. Pierce took things further than Clark and addresses the ability of the satellites to “repeat or mirror” telephone calls from their geosynchronous orbit. Of course Pierce also addressed the future financial gain that could be had by one’s ability to harness this technology and figured that it would be worth billions if not millions of dollars.
The White House approved plans to launch an earth orbiting satellite in July 1955, for the time frame identified by the ICSU in 1952. The White House asked for proposals to be provided by the various government run research agencies to take on the development of this earth orbiting satellite. The proposal that was accepted was that of the Naval Research Laboratory in September 1955.
Topics: Satellite Communications History |