Syncom, and the day it all began

       July 26:  The global communications marvel we now take for granted began precisely forty-seven years ago today, with the launching of the world's first successful geo-synchronous communications satellite,  Syncom II.   Built by Hughes Aircraft, this tiny satellite was the fore-runner of the hundreds of units that inhabit the "Clarke Orbit" today.
    In 1929,  Austrian phyicist Hermann Noordung suggested that if an object were placed in orbit above the equator at a height of 22,238 miles, it would move synchronous with the earth, and would appear stationary to an observer on the ground.
    In 1945, Arthur C. Clarke  suggested that if 3 such objects, equipped as radio relay stations, were placed equidistant around the equator, the whole earth could be linked in continuous communication.
    With Syncom II, this dream became a reality.  Hughes Aircraft was later acquired by Boeing,  so the link I have provided takes you to a Boeing museum site.  Their information is brief,. mostly correct, and is an interesting read.
  There are a few glaring omissions:   They mention the ground station facilities at Lackhurst,  NJ, and on board the USNS Kingsport, but made no mention at all of the ground stations at Ft. Dix NJ, or Camp Roberts, CA., which were the two main workhorse operations.  They did mention that this satellite provided an important, reliable communications link between the US and Viet Nam during the war.  The transportable ground station flown to Asia for this purpose was a makeshift rig cobbled together on short notice by the guys at Hughes,  and operated on the tarmac of an airport in Asia by a half dozen enlisted men from Camp Roberts.   I was one of them.
      Syncom II was synchronous, but not quite geo-static, as it was not quite in the equatorial plane. A small but continuous antenna adjustment was required.  But Syncom III was truly geo-static and fixed antennae could be used.
     Both Hughes and the Army were quite aware of the historical import of the technology they were about to introduce.  Many were the speeches, ribbon cuttings, and certificates.  They likened it to the invention of the telegraph.  In retrospect, I think they were right, thought I didn't believe it at the time.
So check out this link--it's an interesting piece of history.