Profile America: Satellite Telecommunications

Tuesday, December 19th. The satellite Atlas was launched from Cape Canaveral on this date in 1958. The spacecraft would make history the next day, beaming the first voice heard from space — a recording of President Eisenhower with a 58-word Christmas greeting. These words came at the height of the Cold War and early in the space race. Just 14½ months earlier, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite.

Currently, there are around 1,460 active satellites in Earth’s orbit. Satellite telecommunications involves nearly 540 establishments in nearly a $7 billion a year business, and employs over 8,300 people.

You can find more facts about America’s people, places and economy, from the American Community Survey here.

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