Communications Satellite Developments: Technology

On April 6, 1965, the first commercial operational satellite was placed in synchronous orbit. By June 1965 this satellite was providing commercial satellite service to the Atlantic region of the world. It was not until July 1969 that worldwide service was made available. In a single decade, communication satellites have increased the transoceanic communications capability by more than an order of magnitude. In addition to reduced operating costs and improved performance, users have been provided with completely new capabilities such as transoceanic television and high-speed digital service.

The papers from the AIAA 5th Communications Satellite Systems Conference are organized into two volumes of the AIAA Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics series; the first book (Volume 41) emphasizes the system aspects, and the second book (Volume 42) highlights recent technological innovations.