Syncom 3

communications satellite

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July 14, 2026

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Syncom 3 was the first satellite to achieve a geostationary orbit. A communications satellite is an Earth-orbiting system that receives signals and relays them back to the ground. These satellites typically operate in geosynchronous orbits, about 22,300 miles above Earth. Syncom 3 was launched on August 19, 1964, and was instrumental in broadcasting the 1964 Olympic Games from Tokyo to the United States, marking a significant milestone in satellite broadcasting.123

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satellite communication
Development of satellite communication
…on July 26, 1963, and Syncom 3, the first satellite in geostationary orbit, on August 19, 1964. Syncom 3 broadcast the 1964 Olympic Games from Tokyo, Japan, to the United States, the first major sporting event broadcast via satellite.
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…on July 26, 1963, and Syncom 3, the first satellite in geostationary orbit, on August 19, 1964. Syncom 3 broadcast the 1964 Olympic Games from Tokyo, Japan, to the United States, the first major sporting event broadcast via satellite.
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Harold Rosen
…on July 26, 1963, and Syncom 3, the first satellite in geostationary orbit, on August 19, 1964. The advantages of a geostationary communications satellite over a low-orbit system such as AT&T’s Telstar, which could be in range of a receiving antenna for only a few minutes, were immediately obvious.
Read More
…on July 26, 1963, and Syncom 3, the first satellite in geostationary orbit, on August 19, 1964. The advantages of a geostationary communications satellite over a low-orbit system such as AT&T’s Telstar, which could be in range of a receiving antenna for only a few minutes, were immediately obvious.
Read More