Communications satellite of a GEO satellite. Like LEOs, these satellites don’t maintain a stationary distance from the earth. This is in contrast to the geostationary orbit, where satellites are always approximately from the earth. Typically the orbit of a medium earth orbit satellite is about above earth. In various patterns, these satellites make the trip around earth in anywhere from 2 to 8 hours. In 1962, the first communications satellite, Telstar, was launched. It was a medium earth orbit satellite designed to help facilitate high-speed telephone signals. Although it was the first practical way to transmit signals over the horizon, its major
American Satellite Corporation Defense communications systems and built the first digital satellite route from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland via a land base in California. The corporation also invented a shipboard antenna that could connect military vessels to satellite communications despite the pitch and yaw motion of the ship. By 1978 ASC "established the first wideband digital data transmission service via domestic satellite for the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program". 1984 saw the corporation control the largest U.S. transceiver satellite communications network. American Satellite Corporation American Satellite Corporation (ASC) was one of many Fairchild Industries subsidiary companies, and was established in partnership with Continental