The first American communications satellite, in 1960, was a silvery balloon visible from backyards; by October 2026 SpaceX reported about ten thousand Starlink satellites. The episode follows Arthur C. Clarke's 1945 idea through Echo, Telstar, Syncom and Early Bird, Congress's design for shared ownership, and Iridium's bankruptcy. It explains orbit delay and weighs what Starlink offers against debris and ownership concerns.
Who's who
- Arthur C. Clarke+2 more episodesProposed geostationary relay satellites in 1945
- Herman PotočnikSlovene writer who described a one-day orbit in 1928
- John R. Pierce+1 more episodeBell Labs engineer who championed passive balloon relays
- John F. Kennedy+4 more episodesSigned the Communications Satellite Act in 1962
- Harold RosenLed the Hughes team that built Syncom
- Donald J. KesslerNASA scientist who warned of self-sustaining debris from collisions
- Elon Musk+2 more episodesFounder and chief executive of SpaceX
- Mykhailo FedorovUkrainian minister who publicly asked Musk for Starlink in 2022
Where it happens
- Holmdel, New JerseyBell Labs station that received signals bounced off Echo
- Goldstone, CaliforniaJPL station that sent the first signal off Echo
- Pleumeur-Bodou, FranceReceived Telstar's first picture in 1962
- Andover, MaineStation whose flag was Telstar's first private picture
Timeline
- October 1945Clarke's Extra-Terrestrial Relays appears in Wireless World
- August 12, 1960Echo 1 reaches orbit and a signal bounces off it
- July 10, 1962Telstar 1 is launched, a day after a high-altitude nuclear test
- August 31, 1962Kennedy signs the Communications Satellite Act
- August 13, 1999Iridium files for bankruptcy
- May 24, 2019SpaceX launches the first sixty operational Starlink satellites
Still debated
Credit for the communications satellite is shared among Potočnik, Clarke, Pierce and Rosen's team. Iridium is argued over as either a bad idea or a good one at the wrong price, and the Crimea Starlink episode and the seriousness of debris risk remain disputed. Starlink forecasts are company statements.
Connected episodes in other series
How Emptying the Asylums Created Modern HomelessnessNo Fixed Address · Episode 2Also features John F. Kennedy
HAL 9000 and the First Time a Machine Refused a Human OrderOpen the Pod Bay Doors · Episode 1Also features Arthur C. Clarke
Martyrs' Day 1964: The Flag That Doomed the Canal Zone — An EyewitnessPanama: Crossroads of Empires · Episode 12Also features John F. Kennedy
Hidden in Plain Sight: Schools, Pools, Zoos, and Dealey PlazaThe Infinite Dividend: The WPA · Episode 4Also features John F. Kennedy