Today in 1945: Arthur C. Clarke Invents the Communications Satellite

Riot.Jane

If one particular man in history had died of polio as a child, you might not be reading this.  In fact, I daresay that modern Western life would indeed be very different.

On this day in 1945, Arthur C. Clarke began privately circulating his academic paper The Space-Station: Its Radio Applications.  (.pdf-page 34)

This privately-circulated paper and another published in Wireless World in October of the same year, Extra-Terrestrial Relays: Can Rocket Stations GiveWorld-Wide Radio Coverage? (.pdf-page 38), oth "discussed the special characteristics of geosynchronous orbit that would enable three satellites in that orbit to provide global communications." (.pdf-page 23.)

At a time when broadcast television was in its infancy, a physicist and sci-fi writer was envisioning global satellite communications!

"For these insights, Arthur C. Clarke is frequently called the 'Father of Satellite Communications,' and there have been ongoing efforts to officially designate the geosynchronous orbit as the 'Clarke Orbit.'" (.pdf page 23)
 
Logsdon, John M., editor, with Launius, Roger D., Onkst, David H., and Garber, Stephen J., Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in the History of the U.S. Civil Space Program, Volume III: Using Space (NASA SP-4407, ??).

This man's creative leap 66 yearss ago reaffirm my conviction that we MUST find a way to stop stripping music, creative writing, art, and all other other integrative skills from our schools.

~Riot.Jane