Communications Satellite Industry
The beginning of the satellite communications era began with the publication of a paper written by Arthur C. Clarke in 1945. The paper described human-tended space stations designed to facilitate communications links for points on Earth. The key to this concept was the placement of space stations in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO), a location 35,786 kilometers (22,300 miles) above Earth. Objects in this orbit will revolve about Earth along its equatorial plane at the same rate as the planet rotates. Thus, a satellite or space station in GEO will seem fixed in the sky and will be directly above an observer at the equator. A communications satellite in GEO can "see" about one-third of Earth's surface, so to make global communications possible, three satellites need to be placed in this unique orbit.
Clarke envisioned a space station, rather than a satellite, as a communications outpost because he felt that astronauts would be needed to change vacuum tubes for the receivers and transmitters. However, the concept became extraordinarily complex and expensive when life support, food, and living quarters were factored in. For this reason, and because telephone and television services were perceived as adequate, Clarke's idea was not given much attention.
