Relay I is traveling in an orbit that ranges from 820 to 4,612 miles high, and circles the earth about every 185 minutes. Soon after it is launched, Relay’s telemetry reports trouble in the voltage regulator of one of the transponders, which causes excessive power drain. On January 3, 1963, the alternate transponder is switched on, and a successful series of tests—including live television broadcasts between the United States and Europe—begins.
JANUARY 4, 1963 The Telstar I satellite, which for almost two months could not be turned on to transmit communications signals, is reactivated by Bell Laboratories engineers. (The story of this ingenious electronic detective work is told in detail on pages [78] to [85].)
FEBRUARY 14, 1963 The first Syncom satellite is launched by NASA, but its communications systems do not operate. It is the first satellite to try for a synchronous path, revolving around the earth once every 24 hours and thus appearing to hover continuously over the same longitude. Syncom is a short cylinder 28 inches in diameter and 15½ inches long, and weighs 86 pounds. Like Telstar and Relay, it is powered by a combination of solar cells and nickel-cadmium batteries, but it is designed to handle only one two-way telephone conversation and cannot transmit television.
MAY 7,1963 The Telstar II satellite is launched for the Bell System by NASA. (See [page 31].)
What About the Future?
As this is written (June 1963), second Relay and Syncom launchings are in the offing. And there are plans for more experimentation with passive satellites, including a new, more nearly rigid Echo balloon.