History of Satellites
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The 1950's
October 4, 1957: - First satellite - the Russian satellite: Sputnik 01
1957: - First living creature in space: Sputnik 02
1958: - First American satellite: Explorer 01
1958: - First telecommunication satellite: This satellite broadcast a taped message: Score
1959: - First meteorology satellite: Explorer 07
The 1960's
1960: - First successful passive satellite: Echo 1
1960: - First successful active satellite: Courier 1B
1960: - First NASA satellite: Explorer 08
April 12, 1961: - First man in space
1962: - First telephone communication & TV broadcast via satellite: Echo 1
1962: - First telecommunication satellite, first real-time active, AT&T: Telstar 1
1962: - First Canadian satellite: Alouette 1
1963: - Real-time active: Telstar 2
1964: - Creation of Intelsat
1964: - First geostationary satellite, second satellite in stationary orbit: Syncom 3
1964: - First Italian satellite: San Marco 1
1965: - Intelsat 1 becomes first commercial comsat: Early Bird
1965: - First real-time active for USSR: Molniya 1A
1967: - First geostationary meteorology payload: ATS 3
1968: - First European satellite: ESRO 2B
July 21, 1969: - First man on the moon
The 1970's
1970: - First Japanese satellite: Ohsumi
1970: - First Chinese satellite: Dong Fang Hong 01
1971: - First UK launched satellite: Prospero
1974: - First direct broadcasting satellite: ATS 6
1979: - Creation on Inmarsat
The 1980's
1984: - First satellite repared in orbit by the shuttle: SMM
1985: - First Brazilian satellite: Brazilsat A1
1985: - First Mexican satellite: Morelos 1
1988: - First Luxemburg satellite: Astra 1A
1989: - Creation of PanAmSat - Begins Service
The 1990's
1994: - DirecTV begins Direct Broadcast to Home
1995: - PanAmSat - First private company to provide global satellite services.
1996: - Echostar begins Diresct Broadcast Service
The 2000's
2000: - Globalstar begins service
2001: - XM Satellite Radio begins service
2002: - Sirius Satellite Radio begins service
2005: - Intelsat and Panamsat merge
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