Editing Relay program

{{short description|1960s experimental communications satellites}}
[[File:Relay 1.jpg|thumb|Illustration of a Relay satellite]]

The '''Relay program''' consisted of Relay 1 and Relay 2, two early American [[satellite]]s in elliptical [[medium Earth orbit]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Telemetry Details|url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/displayTrajectory.action?id=1964-003A|access-date=2022-02-17|website=nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov}}</ref>  Both were primarily experimental [[communications satellite]]s funded by [[NASA]] and developed by [[RCA]].<ref name="martin_2000">{{cite book|last=Martin|first=Donald H.|title=Communications Satellites|publisher=The Aerospace Press|location=El Segundo, CA|year=2000|edition=fourth|pages=8–9|isbn=1-884989-09-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_azf94TByF8C}}</ref> As of December 2, 2016, both satellites were still in orbit.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://usspaceobjectsregistry.state.gov/Lists/SpaceObjects/DispForm.aspx?ID=187&source=/Pages/Search.aspx|title=Relay 2 Space Object|website=U.S. Space Objects Registry|access-date=2016-12-02|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203061148/https://usspaceobjectsregistry.state.gov/Lists/SpaceObjects/DispForm.aspx?ID=187&source=%2FPages%2FSearch.aspx|archive-date=2016-12-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://usspaceobjectsregistry.state.gov/Lists/SpaceObjects/DispForm.aspx?ID=120&source=/Pages/Search.aspx|title=Relay 1 Space Object|website=U.S. Space Objects Registry|access-date=2016-12-02|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203061058/https://usspaceobjectsregistry.state.gov/Lists/SpaceObjects/DispForm.aspx?ID=120&source=%2FPages%2FSearch.aspx|archive-date=2016-12-03}}</ref> Relay 1 provided the first American television transmissions across the Pacific Ocean.

==Relay 1 {{anchor|Relay 1}}==<!-- redirect target and direct link from other articles -->
[[File:NASA FACTS PROJECT RELAY G-12-62 page 08-cropped.jpg|thumb|Relay 1 launch: Delta second stage hoisted to mate it with first stage in background]]
[[File:Relay 1 work cropped.jpg|thumb|Relay 1 satellite under assembly (1962)]]
'''Relay 1''' ([[COSPAR]] satellite ID: Relay 1 1962-Beta-Upsilon 1 (62BU1)) was launched atop a [[Delta B]] rocket (355/D-15) on December 13, 1962, from [[LC-17A]] at [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Delta-B |url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_det/delta-b.htm |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=Gunter's Space Page |language=en}}</ref> Its payload included [[radiation]] experiments designed to map the Earth's [[radiation belt]]s. 

The [[spin-stabilized satellite]] had an initial spin rate of 167.3 rpm and an initial spin axis orientation with a declination of -68.3 deg and a right ascension of -56 deg. Its orbital period was 185.09 minutes, with an apogee of 7500 &nbsp;km and a perigee of 1300 &nbsp;km.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19660000937/downloads/19660000937.pdf|title=Final Report on the Relay 1 Program|year=1966|work=NASA-SP-76|publisher=NASA|pages=63|access-date=2021-02-07}}</ref> 

Shortly after launch, two basic problems evolved. One was the satellite's response to spurious commands, and the other was the leakage of a high-power regulator. This leakage caused the first two weeks of satellite operation to be useless. After this period, satellite operation returned to normal. The satellite carried one transmitter for tracking and one for [[telemetry]]. The telemetry system was [[Pulse-code modulation|PCM]] at 1152 bit/s. Each 128 words per telemetry frame (of one second duration) used 113 words for the particle experiment. 

Relay 1 was the first satellite to broadcast television from the United States to Japan. The first broadcast during orbit 2677 (1963-11-22, 2027:42-2048 (GMT), or 1:27 pm Dallas time) was to be a prerecorded address from the president of the United States to the Japanese people, but was instead the announcement of the [[John F. Kennedy assassination]]. On orbit 2678, this satellite carried a broadcast titled ''Record, Life of the Late John F. Kennedy'', the first television program broadcast simultaneously in the U.S. and Japan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19660000937/downloads/19660000937.pdf|title=Final Report on the Relay 1 Program|year=1966|work=NASA-SP-76|publisher=NASA|pages=663|access-date=2021-02-07}} (list of actual orbit dates and times)</ref> In later orbits, [[NBC]] transmitted coverage of the funeral procession from the White House to the cathedral.<ref>{{cite book|author=NBC News|title=There Was a President|location=New York|publisher=[[Random House]]|year=1966|author-link=NBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Shepard|first=Richard F.|title=TELEVISION POOLS CAMERA COVERAGE|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 26, 1963|page=11}}</ref> In the three days following the Kennedy assassination, Relay 1 handled a total of 11 spot broadcasts; eight to Europe and three to Japan. All the useful passes of the satellite were made available to permit immediate coverage of the tragic events.<ref name="NASA-SP-93">{{cite web|url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19660009169_1966009169.pdf|title=Significant Achievements in Space Communications and Navigation, 1958-1964|year=1966|work=NASA-SP-93|publisher=NASA|pages=30–32|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100514083032/https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19660009169_1966009169.pdf|access-date=2021-02-07|archive-date=2010-05-14}}</ref>

In August 1964, this satellite was used as the United States-Europe link for the broadcast of the [[1964 Summer Olympics]] from [[Tokyo]],<ref>{{Citation |title=NASA SYNCOM 3 GEOSYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE PROMO FILM 19114z |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_kE4z-LYHA |access-date=2023-04-07 |language=en}}</ref> after the signal was relayed to the United States via [[Syncom 3]].<ref name="martin_2000" /> This marked the first time that two satellites were used in tandem for a television broadcast.<ref name="NASA-SP-93" />

The leakage problem caused the [[spacecraft]] to revert to a low voltage state early in 1965. Sporadic transmission occurred until February 10, 1965, after which no usable scientific data was obtained.

==Relay 2 {{anchor|Relay 2}}==<!-- redirect target and direct link from other articles -->
[[File:Project Relay antenna - GPN-2003-00019.jpg|thumb|Project Relay ground station]]
'''Relay 2''' (COSPAR satellite ID: Relay 2 1964-003A) was launched atop a [[Delta B]] rocket (373/D-23) on January 21, 1964, from [[LC-17B]] at [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station]].<ref name=":0" /> Apogee was 7600 and perigee 1870&nbsp;km. 

It was physically similar to Relay 1. Design changes in this satellite improved its performance so response to spurious commands was essentially eliminated.

NASA ceased operations with Relay 2 on September 26, 1965, with the repurposing of the [[Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex|Mojave Desert Ground Station]], the only one in the world equipped to communicate with the satellite, for use with the [[Applications Technology Satellite]] program. The final broadcast was of Sen. B. Everett Jordon (D-N.C.) opening the week-long International Exposition of the American Textile Machinery Association in Exposition Hall in Atlantic City.<ref name="aa1965">{{cite web|url=https://history.nasa.gov/AAchronologies/1965.pdf|title=Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1965|publisher=NASA|access-date=24 April 2020|pages=449–450}}</ref>

One of the two onboard [[transponder]]s operated normally until November 20, 1966. From that time until its failure on January 20, 1967, it required a longer time than normal to come on. The other transponder continued to operate until June 9, 1967, when it too failed to operate normally.

==See also==
{{Portal|Spaceflight}}
* [[List of communications satellite firsts]]
* Launch data:
** [[1962 in spaceflight (July–December)]] (Relay 1)
** [[1964 in spaceflight (January–June)]] (Relay 2)
* [[State funeral of John F. Kennedy]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* NASA Space Science Data Center description:
** [https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1962-068A Relay 1]
** [https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1964-003A Relay 2]
* [[s:File:NASA FACTS PROJECT RELAY G-12-62 page 01.jpg|NASA FACTS PROJECT RELAY G-12-62]]

{{Orbital launches in 1962}}
{{Orbital launches in 1964}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2014}}

[[Category:1962 in spaceflight]]
[[Category:NASA programs]]
[[Category:History of telecommunications]]
[[Category:Communications satellites]]
[[Category:Satellites orbiting Earth]]
[[Category:1964 in spaceflight]]
[[Category:Spacecraft launched in 1962]]
[[Category:Spacecraft launched in 1964]]
[[Category:Satellites of the United States]]