NASA's revitalized role in satellite communications

The early efforts of NASA in space communications development strengthened the general level of confi. dence in the use of satellite technology for telecommunications. Soon afterward, the formation of organizations such as INTELSAT and the Comsat Corporation and their subsequent progress brought reliable communications via satellite at affordable rates. These capabilities have grown worldwide through new industries that are fostering the principles of the 1958 Space Act to exploit the peaceful benefits of space for the betterment of mankind. As a result of this recognized success arid the pressures of budget cutting, NASA's role in this pioneering effort was slowed in 1973. The flight projects then under development, the Applications Technology Satellite Six (ATS-6) and the Communications Technology Satellite (CTS) were allowed to continue but the research projects were reduced to a small ground-based effort directed toward long-term high-risk components and techniques. Now, as we enter the 1980's, the situation is reversed. The principal NASA spacecrafts are retired, but the program for research and development and flight experiments is revived.