![]() The original Telstar had a roughly spherical shape. | |
Operator | AT&T / NASA |
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COSPAR ID | 1962-029A[1] |
SATCAT no. | 340 |
Mission duration | 62 years, 1 month, 9 days (in orbit) |
Spacecraft properties | |
Manufacturer | Bell Labs |
Launch mass | 171 pounds (78 kg) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 08:35:00, July 10, 1962 (UTC) |
Rocket | Thor-Delta |
Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-17B |
End of mission | |
Deactivated | February 21, 1963 |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Medium Earth |
Perigee altitude | 952 kilometers (592 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 5,933 kilometers (3,687 mi) |
Inclination | 44.8° |
Period | 2 hours and 37 minutes |
Epoch | 1962-07-10 08:35:00 UTC |
External audio | |
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Telstar 1 is a defunct communications satellite launched by NASA on July 10, 1962. It was the satellite that allowed the first live broadcast of television images between the United States and Europe. Telstar 1 remained active for only 7 months before it prematurely failed due to Starfish Prime, a high-altitude nuclear test conducted by the United States. Although the satellite is no longer operational, it remains in Earth orbit.