OCTOBER 1945 Arthur C. Clarke publishes “Extra-Terrestrial Relays—Can Rocket Stations Give World-Wide Radio Coverage?” in Wireless World, suggesting the use of satellites for communications.
JANUARY 11, 1946 Project Diana of the U. S. Army Signal Corps bounces microwave radar signals off the moon and back to the earth, proving that relatively low power can transmit signals over very long distances.
APRIL 1955 John R. Pierce publishes “Orbital Radio Relays” in Jet Propulsion, pointing out the requirements for a satellite communications system.
JULY 29, 1958 Congress passes the National Aeronautics and Space Act, setting up the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), with satellite communications experimentation as one of its interests.
DECEMBER 18, 1958 Score, the first communications satellite, is launched by the U. S. Air Force. It is equipped with tape recorder units that transmit prerecorded messages back to the earth upon receipt of signals. On December 19 a Christmas greeting to the world recorded by President Eisenhower—the first message from a satellite to the earth—is transmitted. Score continues to transmit for 12 days before its batteries become too weak for further use.
