The First Passive Communications Satellite
Says…
Could I transceive? Come on, you know the answer’s heck no!
I took a signal, bounced it back… you hear that echo?
Strapped to a rocket, shot in space
Inflated once I was in place
Big balloon out in the void, that was the tech, yo
TIMELINE
1945
Theory of communications satellites proposed
1952
Mylar invented
The polyester film BoPET, commonly known as Mylar is invented
Mylar is a metallized plastic
1958
NASA created
The U.S. space agency NASA is created
Image Credit: NASA
National Aeronautics and Space Act signed into law July 29
1959
First attempt to launch the Echo satellite
The Shotput test vehicle is used in the first attempt to launch the Echo satellite
1960
Echo 1 satellite launched
1964
Echo 2 satellite launched
The Echo 2 satellite is launched.
In addition to communications, this version of Echo was also used for other space related studies.
SAY MORE
Taub and Cross
restored by Bammesk,
Horn Antenna-in Holmdel,
New Jersey - restoration1,
marked as public domain,
more details on Wikimedia Commons
Project Echo was one of NASA’s earliest projects. Invented by William J. O’Sullivan, Echo was a passive communications satellite that was basically a giant balloon made out of reflective material. The balloon was launched into space by a rocket, and then inflated after reaching low earth orbit.
A signal was then sent to the balloon from a location on earth. Due to the balloon’s reflective surface, the signal hit the balloon and bounced back down to earth at a different location.
Transceivers
A transceiver is a device that can both transmit and receive signals (i.e. – data, information, etc.).
Transceiver = transmitter + receiver
Active satellites
An active satellite will receive a signal, intensify that signal, and then transmit the boosted signal back out to another location. This makes the signal that was sent stronger and easier to read on the other end.
Passive satellites
Echo was considered passive because it had no way to receive, boost, or transmit the signal sent to it. It could only send the original signal to another location by having the signal bounce off of its reflective surface.
LEARN MORE
1960 video about Project Echo
Detailed history of Project Echo
Quick, simple description of active vs. passive satellites
William J. O’Sullivan’s invention of the world’s first lightweight inflatable satellite and the challenges that it entailed
One minute video about Echo. Includes a message from President Eisenhower that was bounced off Echo 1 and picked up by radio operators across the U.S.
Pictures of Project Echo with brief summaries
Message sent from California, bounced off of Echo 1, and received 2,700 miles away in Massachusetts
