I still have my original copy of the record by "The Tornados", a birthday present on my 5th birthday.Apparently it was the first single by a British band to top both the UK charts and the US Billboard 100.My vinyl record has lasted longer than the satellite.Simon -------- Original message --------From: David Wardell via Mifnet <mifnet@lists.mifnet.com> Date: 10/07/2025 13:03 (GMT+00:00) To: mifnet@lists.mifnet.com Cc: David Wardell <dward...@mifnet.com> Subject: [Mifnet 🛰 73047] Telstar July 10 is the 63rd anniversary of the Telstar launch in 1962. This was among the very first sophisticated communication satellites and marked the beginning of practical transatlantic television transmission.  Telstar was very advanced for its time. It was placed in an irregular orbit about 3,500 miles above the earth and relied upon multiple ground antennas. The device comprised around 1,000 transistors (a large number in the day). Its central component was a traveling wave tube (TWT), which together with supporting devices could amplify signals over 10,000 times. The TWT was a fascinating gadget. By the standards of the day, it worked quite well. TWTs had been used for some time, but by Telstar's time their limitations had been overcome, and they were efficient amplifiers.  The helix TWT variant used in satellites performed reliably over millions of hours while they were in use.  I can recall some of the early Telstar TV transmissions, one featuring the Pope in particular. There was some flutter and a bit of noise, but they were watchable.  Telstar performed well until an ill-conceived nuclear test in 1963 damaged its electronics. I continue to marvel at what could be achieved in the 1960s.   David Wardell(757) 561-0582da...@wardell.org  Â
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