Satellite Timeline of Events

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Satellite

In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....

Timeline of Events

1957

12.6.1957

Project Vanguard: A launchpad explosion of Vanguard TV3 thwarts the first United States attempt to launch a satellite into Earth orbit.

1958

1.31.1958

Explorer program: ''Explorer 1'' – The first successful launch of an American satellite into orbit.

3.17.1958

The United States launches the Vanguard 1 satellite.

4.14.1958

The Soviet satellite Sputnik 2 falls from orbit after a mission duration of 162 days.

1962

7.11.1962

First transatlantic satellite television transmission.

9.29.1962

''Alouette 1,'' the first Canadian satellite, is launched.

12.13.1962

NASA "Relay 1" launch, first active repeater communications satellite in orbit.

1965

4.6.1965

Launch of Early Bird, the first communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit.

11.26.1965

In the Hammaguir launch facility in the Sahara Desert, France launches a Diamant-A rocket with its first satellite, ''Asterix-1'' on board, becoming the third country to enter outer space.

1970

4.24.1970

The first Chinese satellite, Dong Fang Hong I, is launched.

1971

10.28.1971

Britain launches its first satellite, Prospero, into low Earth orbit atop a Black Arrow carrier rocket.

1972

7.23.1972

The United States launch ''Landsat 1'', the first Earth-resources satellite.

1975

4.19.1975

India's first satellite Aryabhata is launched.

1989

2.14.1989

The first of 24 satellites of the Global Positioning System are placed into orbit.

1996

2.14.1996

China launches a Long March 3 rocket, carrying the Intelsat 708 satellite. The rocket flies off course 3 seconds after liftoff and crashes into a rural village.

2006

6.18.2006

The first Kazakh space satellite, KazSat is launched.