The World’s First Broadband was over Satellite
In April 1965, just months after the Intelsat Consortium had come into being, the Early Bird satellite (i.e. Intelsat 1) was launched into orbit. It quickly captured the world’s imagination in headlines around the world. This small satellite, the size of a blue beach ball squashed in the shape of a tin can, was capable of transmitting 240 voice circuits, or one low quality television channel. It blew the lid off what was then capable in terms of global communications. The largest submarine cable in world was by comparison a miniscule 64 voice channels. This was followed by Intelsat II, that added multi-destination capabilities to support NASA’s needs to connect to the astronaut launches for the Gemini Project, but the reak revolution in satellite communications came with Intelsat III that featured an amazing capability of 1200 voice circuits, plus 2 high quality color television channels. The deployment of the Intelsat IIIs was envisioned as changing the world. The cost of overseas telephone calls and messaging were to plummet, but the true revolution was the addition of global television distribution and the creation of a world that could now be instantly connected.
Launch Failures, Stuck Antennas
Reality and plans are not always quickly joined together. The new Intelsat III for the Atlantic Ocean was slated to carry the Mexico City Olympics to the world and was designated by Comsat Corporation media guru Matt Gordon as “Olympico” with much hype. But the launch was a failure. In those days, there was not really anything such as launch insurance. There had to be two launches in a row to collect any partial compensation. Comsat President, Joseph Charyk, decreed that no more satellites would be named but rather only designated with a “flight number” after a successful launch. Further there would be no launch party celebrations until the mission success was confirmed. And then another Intelsat III satellite was launched successfully to orbit, but the new ‘despun antenna’ to provide constant pointing to Earth froze. As the Secretary of the Intelsat Technical Committee at that time I found the job a challenge. I spent a significant amount of time as the official Secretary of those meetings that started in the morning and lasted past midnight—night after night. The solutions to unfreezing the bearing, the working out agreement on the global standards for Earth Stations, and more, were truly a challenge.
The Eagle Has Landed
The Intelsat III system was ultimately successfully deployed, the despun antenna unstuck, and the world of communications was transformed. Global telephone and messaging capacity increased over 1000% in less than two years, global television transmission capability for color television went from zero to a global system for television exchange. There was, however, yet another dash to the finish with challenges to overcome for the Intelsat III system. This involved the decision, made in late June 1969, to move one of the Pacific Ocean Intelsat III’s to the Indian Ocean to have a complete global system so that the upcoming Apollo 11 mission to the Moon could be transmitted “Live via Satellite.” With just two weeks to spare a complete global satellite capability to cover every continent except Antarctica was put in place. The result was the world’s first half-billion audience television show. It enthralled an audience that was able to hear Neil Armstrong announce that the Eagle has landed and then later that “This is one small step for a man, but a giant leap for mankind.” As I watched this event in my rec room in my first house with my family, I was both amazed to see that this amazing feat of using a number satellite hops to connect a giant observatory dish in Australia with mission control in Houston, Texas, and a global audience around the world. It was quite an emotional feeling to know that I was a small part of history. And in the years to follow the story continued. Intelsat satellites in those early days televised President Nixon at the Great Wall of China (a very hush-hush operation). We were also able to show the world the “Rumble in the Jungle” (the Mohammed Ali and Joe Frazier fight in the Congo), the marriage of Diana and Prince Charles, and by 1972 the Montreal Olympics where it was estimated that 1-billion people saw these telecasts Live via Satellite. It was truly amazing to be a part of creating what had truly become an Electronic Global Village.
Dr. Joseph Pelton is Chair of the Alliance for Collaboration in the Exploration of Space (ACES Worldwide) and Founding President of SSPI.