VA-INTELSAT
23.3.2022 14:02:14 CET | Business Wire | Press release
Intelsat , operator of the world’s largest integrated satellite and terrestrial network and leading provider of inflight connectivity (IFC), is donating a pioneering piece of satellite history to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. The company will transfer the ground spare of the Intelsat 1 satellite in a ceremony today at the museum’s Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220323005147/en/
Intelsat 1, also known as Early Bird, was the first commercial communications satellite in geosynchronous orbit launched April 6, 1965. During the early age of space technology, two identical satellites were often constructed in the event of launch failure. Today’s donation is a fully constructed satellite that had been on display at Intelsat’s U.S. headquarters.
Through its four years of service, Intelsat 1 played a historic role in connecting humanity. It is credited with broadcasting the Apollo 11 moon landing to millions of TV viewers around the world, doubling the number of telephone lines between the continents, and providing other critical telecommunications and broadcasting services. Intelsat 1 was also the first satellite to provide direct and nearly instantaneous contact between Europe and North America.
“This historic satellite’s new home commemorates its role in some of the most profound moments in human space exploration and global connectivity. Allowing people to witness the moon landing live inspired a generation of space explorers and enthusiasts. This reminder of Intelsat’s integral part in driving humanity forward only underscores how far Intelsat has come today and will continue to go in connecting our world,” said Intelsat CEO Stephen Spengler.
“We are excited to collect the ground spare of the first commercial communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit,” said Jim David, curator at the National Air and Space Museum. “The Intelsat 1 satellite will be a featured among iconic artifacts like the Hubble space telescope and Skylab in a new exhibition opening in 2025.”
The satellite will be restored and prepared for exhibition at the museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. The satellite will eventually be displayed among other spacecraft in a new exhibition, scheduled to open in 2025, as part of the museum’s renovation of its building in Washington, DC.
Intelsat 1 emphasizes Intelsat’s role as the foundational architect of satellite technology – past, present and future. Intelsat's mission is to make broadband more accessible worldwide. With a 50-year record of delivering seamless and secure coverage to government and industry leaders across 200+ countries, the company is investing $2B, initially, to build a unified, global network that will support virtually any access technology, enabling the next generation of global mobility, IoT and 5G services.
To learn more about Early Bird’s history, click here .
For media b-roll, click here .
About Intelsat
As the foundational architects of satellite technology, Intelsat operates the world’s most trusted satellite telecom network. We apply our unparalleled expertise and global scale to connect people, businesses, and communities, no matter how difficult the challenge. Intelsat is building the future of global communications with the world’s first hybrid, multi-orbit, software-defined 5G network designed for simple, seamless, and secure coverage precisely when and where our customers most need it. Follow the leader in global connectivity and “Imagine Here,” with us, at Intelsat.com .
Follow Us on Social Media
:
Twitter
| LinkedIn
| Facebook
| Instagram
| YouTube
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220323005147/en/
Link:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Pure Lithium Receives Australian Patent for "Lithium Metal Anode and Battery"6.8.2026 22:49:00 CEST | Press release
Pure Lithium Corporation, a vertically integrated next-generation lithium metal battery technology company, today announced that the Australian patent office has granted the company a patent (AU2025271196) titled “Lithium metal anode and battery.” Australia mines roughly half of the world’s lithium, yet has no domestic battery production at all; every battery the country uses is imported. The granted patent is directed to ways in which Pure Lithium’s technology can change that. Rather than trying to catch up in lithium-ion, Australia can leapfrog the incumbent technology and establish a next-generation industry. As worldwide demand for batteries grows, every country capable of making batteries needs to be making them. That is Pure Lithium’s central goal: opening up markets around the world through battery technology that enables local, independent supply chains, keeping pace with demand and strengthening economies. China controls the lithium-ion battery supply chain and manufactures th
Vercel Appoints Amit Agarwal, Standard Template Labs CEO and former Datadog President, to Board of Directors6.8.2026 17:00:00 CEST | Press release
The product leader who helped scale Datadog from early-stage startup through IPO brings deep product expertise to Vercel's board Vercel, the agentic infrastructure company, today announced the appointment of Amit Agarwal, former president of Datadog and founder and CEO of Standard Template Labs, an AI-first service management platform, to its board of directors. Agarwal brings 25 years of enterprise software experience and a track record of scaling a product-led company from its earliest days into one of the defining public software companies of the cloud era. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260806738617/en/ Amit Agarwal Agarwal joined Datadog in 2012 as its Chief Product Officer and was named President in 2022, overseeing product, corporate development, and go-to-market functions as the company grew past $2.5 billion in annual revenue. Across 13 years, including Datadog's 2019 IPO and its first years as a pub
Laserfiche Launches Advanced Enterprise Security to Deliver Multi-Region Disaster Recovery and GovRAMP-Ready Compliance for Highly Regulated Industries6.8.2026 16:00:00 CEST | Press release
New security suite extends Laserfiche’s proven security controls and adds near real-time data replication for governments, law enforcement and security-conscious enterprises. Laserfiche — the leading SaaS provider of intelligent content management — today announced the launch of Enterprise Security, an advanced suite of security enhancements designed for organizations navigating complex regulatory environments. Enterprise Security addresses GovRAMP and CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Services) security requirements based on the NIST SP 800-53 framework. For organizations handling privileged citizen, legal or corporate data, these built-in controls streamline audit preparation and fortify defenses. With organizations placing a higher priority on data stewardship and corporate governance, enterprise IT leaders require a security architecture that protects data without slowing down operations. Laserfiche Enterprise Security extends Laserfiche Cloud’s highly resilient infrastructure wit
AM Best Upgrades Fortegra Insurance Subsidiaries to A (Excellent)6.8.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
Rating actions follow completion of the DB Insurance acquisition The Fortegra Group, Inc. (“Fortegra” or the “Company”), a global specialty insurer and part of DB Insurance Co., Ltd., today announced that AM Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of its insurance subsidiaries to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICRs) to “a” (Excellent) from “a-” (Excellent). The outlook assigned to the ratings is stable, and AM Best removed the ratings from under review with positive implications. KBRA has also upgraded all of its ratings for the Company. The upgrade applies across Fortegra’s insurance platform. The property and casualty companies include Lyndon Southern Insurance Company, Insurance Company of the South, Response Indemnity Company of California, Blue Ridge Indemnity Company, Fortegra Specialty Insurance Company and Fortegra Europe Insurance Company SE. The life and health companies include Life of the South Insurance Co
Khimji Ramdas Group Chooses Rimini Street to Reduce SAP Support Costs, Protect 700+ Customizations and Reinvest Savings in Innovation6.8.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
Omani conglomerate gains greater control over its IT roadmap, avoids migration pressure and funds AI and growth initiatives Rimini Street, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMNI), the Software Support and Agentic AI ERP Company™ and the leading third-party support provider for Oracle, SAP and VMware software, today announced that Khimji Ramdas Group, one of Oman’s largest privately held conglomerates, has selected Rimini Support™ for SAP, a move that has helped the organization reduce costs, reinvest savings in AI innovation and maintain its highly customized SAP ECC 6 environment with zero downtime. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260806244148/en/ Khimji Ramdas Group Chooses Rimini Street to Reduce SAP Support Costs, Protect 700+ Customizations and Reinvest Savings in Innovation “Staying on SAP ECC is a strategic decision for us,” said Prashant Kumar, CTO, Khimji Ramdas Group. “We went to an industry analyst to ask what options
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom