| In Martin Scorsese's movie, The Aviator, the life of | | | | LEASAT (1984-1990): LEASAT is short for "Leased |
| Howard Hughes was fully glamorized. The company | | | | Satellites". Hughes built the LEASAT satellite system |
| he founded, Hughes Aircraft, and later Hughes Space | | | | that was launched in the 1980's that formed a global |
| and Communications, was obviously noteworthy. | | | | military communications network. The 5 Intelsat |
| These companies built airplanes, helicopters, missiles, | | | | satellites were also called Syncom IV-1 to Syncom |
| radar systems, satellites, and interplanetary exploration | | | | IV-5. However, these satellites weighed more than |
| vehicles. The company built the first working laser, | | | | 1500 pounds each, as opposed to the 86 pounds of |
| aircraft computer systems, and ion-propulsion engines. | | | | Syncom satellites built in the 1960s. The LEASAT |
| In 2000, Hughes sold it's Space and Communications | | | | satellites were the first satellites specifically designed |
| divisions to Boeing, and in 2003, Hughes sold effective | | | | for launch by the Space Shuttle. Users include mobile |
| controlling interest (39%) in DirecTV to News | | | | air, surface ships, submarines, and fixed earth stations |
| Corporation/Fox Broadcasting (Rupert Murdoch). | | | | of the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Army. |
| Notable Achievements: | | | | DirecTV (1994): Hughes pioneered direct broadcast |
| Syncom (1963): Syncom is short for "synchronous | | | | satellite (DBS) service for delivering television |
| communication satellite". Hughes built the world's first | | | | programming directly to the consumer, launching |
| geosynchronous communications satellite, Syncom 2. | | | | service in 1994. The new technologies that had to be |
| Syncom 1 was to be the first geosynchronous | | | | engineered to provide this service included very high |
| communications satellite. but was lost due to an | | | | power satellite transmission and digital video |
| electronics failure. The Syncom satellites weighed 86 | | | | compression (CDV). The higher power was needed |
| pounds. | | | | so that smaller antenna dishes could be used by the |
| ATS (1966-1969): Hughes built the world's first | | | | consumer. The higher the power of the transmission |
| geosynchronous weather satellites, ATS. The ATS | | | | from the satellite, the smaller the dish. CDV reduces |
| satellites conducted experiments in communications | | | | the signal bandwidth requirements of a TV signal to |
| and meteorology. An ATS satellite produced the first | | | | enable its transmission via the Internet, DVD, cable, or |
| color picture showing a view of our planet from space. | | | | satellite. This is necessary because an uncompressed |
| Surveyor (1966): Hughes built 7 Surveyor systems, | | | | video signal requires a a large bandwidth. The high |
| robotic spacecraft used as pathfinders. These | | | | definition signal (HDTV) is much larger than standard |
| spacecraft provided the first soft landings on the Moon | | | | definition files. DirecTV has approximately 17 million |
| as preparation for the Apollo missions. Each | | | | customers in the United States. DirecTV is currently in |
| spacecraft was about 10 feet tall, 14 feet in width, and | | | | a race with the Dish Network to develop the HDTV |
| weighed about 2300 pounds. A total of 7 Surveyor | | | | DBS market. By 2010, 60% of U.S. homes will use a |
| systems were sent to the moon. Five made | | | | Satellite signal, up from 15% in 2002. |
| successful landings. Apollo 12 later landed about 400 | | | | Galileo (1995): Hughes built the Galileo probe that |
| meters from the landing site of Surveyor 3, and | | | | studied Jupiter in the 1995-1997. The spacecraft studied |
| astronauts retrieved parts of the spacecraft to | | | | the planet, its moons, orbital rings and the planet's |
| determine the effects of long exposure to the lunar | | | | magnetic field. As a part of the program, Galileo |
| environment. | | | | released a probe that entered the planet's atmosphere |
| Pioneer (1978): Hughes built Pioneer Venus, which | | | | for detailed study. The probe survived entry speeds of |
| performed radar mapping of Venus until its demise in | | | | over 106,000 MPH, extreme temperatures more than |
| 1992. The mission, scheduled to last 243 days, instead | | | | twice the temperature of the surface of the Sun, and |
| lasted 14 years. The Pioneer mission to Venus | | | | deceleration forces up to 230 G's. The probe relayed |
| consisted of two modules, launched separately, | | | | data obtained during its 57 minute descent mission |
| Pioneer Venus Orbiter (the "mother" craft) and Pioneer | | | | back to the Galileo orbiter for transmission back to |
| Venus Multiprobe. The multiprobe spacecraft divided | | | | Earth. |
| into four separate probes, one large probe, and three | | | | As of the year 2000, the company had built |
| small probes. In total, the five spacecraft contained 18 | | | | approximately 40 percent of commercial satellites in |
| scientific instruments. The probes all functioned | | | | service worldwide. Much of the current interplanetary |
| perfectly, transmitting data through their descent. One | | | | exploration, and communication satellite industry, has |
| probe survived impact and continued to transmit | | | | been built on the foundation laid by the Hughes |
| valuable data from the planet's surface for more than | | | | Corporation. |
| an hour. | | | | |