Last week, the Museum recognized the 50th anniversary of
Telstar, the first “active” satellite (one that can receive a
radio signal from a ground station and then immediately re-
transmit it to another) and the first technology of any kind
that enabled transatlantic television transmissions. In 1962,
both accomplishments generated intense interest, excitement, and
commentary. Telstar was, at once, a technical, political, and
cultural happening, providing impetus to the world of globalized
information we take for granted today. Our anniversary program
featured a satellite simulcast between the Museum and the French
city of Pleumeur-Bodou (an echo of the first United States-
Europe television exchanges in July 1962), then a symposium
exploring the history of Telstar and the significance of its
legacy. My contribution today is to offer some broad reflections
on the perspectives and tensions that Telstar brought to the
fore in U.S. life in late summer and early fall of 1962 (and
correct some confusions in Telstar’s