April 6, 1965: Intelsat I (nicknamed Early Bird) became the first commercial communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit. Built by Hughes Aircraft for COMSAT and modeled on the Syncom series, it was the first satellite to provide real-time transmission between Europe and North America, carrying TV, telephone and fax traffic. Deactivated after four years of service, the 76 lb (34.5 kg) satellite was briefly reactivated in January 1969 to serve the Apollo 11 flight when the Atlantic Intelsat satelite faile

Click here to view this event in the SSPI Satellite Industry Timeline

Visit the SSPI Satellite Industry Timeline to tour the decades of the Satellite Era

The SSPI Satellite Timeline is the first interactive site on the Web to chronicle the rich and diverse history of the commercial satellite industry. Launched in October 2007 – the 50th anniversary of Sputnik – the Timeline is a learning tool for satellite professionals, students, the news media and the innovative companies that make up the industry