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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 2167.PDF
502 Missiles and Spaceflight The first Relay communication satellite will be launched from Cape Canaveral later this year. Here a Douglas engineer checks the compatibility of a test model of the satellite with the final stage of the Delta launch vehicle The US Communications Satellite Act of 1962 "for the estab lishment, ownership, operation and regulation of a commercial communications satellite system" became Jaw on August 31 when the act was signed by President Kennedy. After an un successful "filibuster" attempt the act was passed by the US Senate by 66 votes to 11 on August 17, and by the House of Representatives by 372 votes to 10 on August 27. The declaration of policy and purpose in the act states: — "The Congress hereby declares that it is the policy of the United States to establish, in conjunction and in co-operation •with other countries, as expeditiously as practicable a com- BAC STUDIES COMSAT For the last fifteen months a small team at English Electric Aviation has been investigating the use of communication satellites. Some attention has been given to a comparison of the merits of low orbit multi-satellite systems and systems using a 24-hour satellite, but the main attention has been given to the telecommunications aspects. An extensive investigation of various forms of modulation has been carried out. This includes pulse-code-modulation and frequency-modulation systems, while some consideration has FLIGHT International, 20 September 1962 D mercial communications satellite system, as part of an improved global communications network, which will be responsive to public needs and national objectives, which will serve the communications needs of the United States and other countries, and which will contribute to world peace and understanding. "The new and expanded telecommunication services are to be made available as promptly as possible and are to be ex tended to provide global coverage at the earliest practicable date. In effectuating this programme, care and attention will be directed toward providing such services to economically less developed countries and areas as well as those more highly developed, toward efficient and economical use of the electro magnetic frequency spectrum, and toward the reflection of the benefits of this new technique in both quality of services and charges for such services. "In order to facilitate this development and to provide for the widest possible participation by private enterprise, United States participation in the global system shall be in the form of a private corporation, subject to appropriate governmental regulation. It is the intent of Congress that all authorized users shall have non-discriminatory access to the system; that maxi mum competition be maintained in the provision of equipment and services utilized by the system; that the corporation created under this Act be so organized and operated as to maintain and strengthen competition in the provision of com munications services to the public; and that the activities of the corporation created under this Act and of the persons or com panies participating in the ownership of the corporation shall be consistent with the Federal anti-trust laws. "It is not the intent of Congress by this Act to preclude the use of the communications satellite system for domestic com munication services where consistent with the provisions of this Act nor to preclude the creation of additional communication satellite systems, if required to meet unique governmental needs or if otherwise required in the national interest." The corporation, the act states, is authorized to (1) plan, initiate, construct, own, manage and operate itself or in con junction with foreign governments or business entities a com mercial communications satellite system; (2) furnish, for hire, channels of communication to United States communications common carriers and to other authorized entities, foreign and domestic; and (3) own and operate satellite terminal stations when licensed by the Federal Communications Commission. Among the corporation's authorized activities are the follow ing: (1) to conduct or contract for research and development: (2) to acquire the physical facilities, equipment and devices necessary to its operations, including communications satellites and associated equipment and facilities, whether by construc tion, purchase or gift; (3) to purchase satellite-launching and related services from the United States Government; (4) to contract with authorized users, including the United States Government, for the services of the communications satellite system; and (5) to develop plans for the technical specifications of all elements of the communications satellite system. SYSTEMS been given to the use of single-sideband communication from ground to satellite. As the result of the invention of a new method of super imposing two binary PCM systems, giving rise to what has been termed a twin binary system, it is now possible to insert two normal binary PCM systems in the frequency range pre viously required for one normal binary system. With an FM system transmitting 600 channels and occupying the same fre quency range as 600 speech channels transmitted over six bit US COMSAT BILL PASSE
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