Exploring the Unknown - NASA's History Office

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[1]
DR. T. KEITH GLENNAN, Administrator
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
1520 H Street, N.W.
Washington 25, D.C.
Dear Dr. Glennan:
THE HISTORY OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
Attachment No. 3
December 14, 1960
Our discussion of December 7 regarding satellites for communication purposes raised
a number of questions relative to the respective efforts of NASA and A.T.&T. Co. in this
area of scientific exploration. I believe there was no disagreement on the need for advancing
scientific knowledge as fast as possible to the point where commercial communications
by satellites can be undertaken by the common carrier communications companies
and their international counterparts, each in their respective areas of service.
In our conversation, we indicated we are proceeding at our own expense with the
development and construction of experimental active satellites which will be ready for
launching within a year, this to be an initial step toward the establishment in a few years
of a commercial satellite system. You in turn advised that NASA is also planning experimentation
in the field of active communications satellites, with the view to developing further
scientific information in this area.
It was agreed that our objectives, stemming as they do from our respective areas of
responsibility and competence, have much in common. Moreover, I believe we were in
accord that the national interest could be best served if our efforts were combined in this
field so as to avoid wasteful duplication and delay in the development of a final system.
[2] It is recognized that NASA has broad responsibilities to advance “the role of the
United States as a leader in aeronautical and space technology and in the application
thereof to the conduct of peaceful activities within and outside the atmosphere.” This
charges your organization with a broad obligation to assure that the activities necessary to
achieve this result are being carried out. It does not, however, seem to require that NASA
itself duplicate work now being done or planned by private industry but only that it
encourage industry in its efforts and be prepared to move in should industry be unable or
unwilling to take full advantage of its opportunities.
The common carriers of the United States have the responsibility to the American
public to furnish the best possible communications service not only within this country
but also internationally. In the course of discharging A.T.&T.’s responsibilities, we have
developed overseas radiotelephone service and overseas telephone cables and have established
telephone communications with nearly every country in the world. The technical
problems which were solved in bringing these facilities into service are comparable to
those which are faced in satellite communication systems.
We are also constantly seeking to improve the communications art and find better and
more economical means of doing the job to which we are dedicated. In so doing we maintain
the most extensive communications research and development laboratories in the
world, Bell Telephone Laboratories, whose responsibility is to explore every possible way
of improving communication. The exploration of the use of satellites as a means of radio
communication is a natural part of the Bell Laboratories overall program and it has been
devoting substantial effort to activities in this area for a number of years. In this connection,
our Bell System technology has already been the source of the essential components
which enable a satellite to act as a communications relay. These include transistors,