Telstar 1, Card No 11 (RaceIntoSpace 1971)

The Race Into Space (Brooke Bond, 1971)

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Card No. 11: Telstar 1

10th July 1962

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Telstar 1 pioneered many of the techniques now universally employed in commercial relay satellites.

The 34.5 inch diameter, 170 pound Telstar 1 was launched from Cape Canaveral on July 10, 1962.

Thirteen days later the first, historic, direct, full-scale television exchange, lasting 20 min, took place between Europe and America. In a second television link-up there were no less than 50 cameras taking part in nine European countries, and the programme was relayed to North America.

Telstar 1 was used for extensive tests before becoming unserviceable during Feb. 1963.