Space & Earth Science
NORAD ID: 340
Int'l Code: 1962-029A
Perigee: 948.0 km
Apogee: 5,651.7 km
Inclination: 44.8 °
Period: 157.7 minutes
Semi major axis: 9670 km
Launch date: July 10, 1962
Source: United States (US)
Comments: TELSTAR 1 was launched on top of a Thor-Delta rocket on July 10, 1962. It successfully relayed through space the first television pictures, telephone calls, fax images and provided the first live transatlantic television feed. Telstar 2 was launched May 7, 1963. Telstar 1 operated normally from launch until November 1962, when the command channel began to behave erratically. The satellite was turned on continuously to circumvent this problem. On November 23, 1962, the command channel ceased to respond. On December 20, the satellite was successfully reactivated, and intermittent data were obtained until February 21, 1963, when the transmitter failed.
Two Line Element Set (TLE):
1 00340U 62029A 15029.19011056 -.00000023 00000-0 10587-3 0 470
2 00340 044.7917 134.7944 2431906 157.8760 308.9771 09.12864628753042
Source: AFSPC
NASA's NSSDC Master Catalog entry for TELSTAR 1
