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EDITORIAL INFORMATION

During its almost eight-year lifespan, Echo-I more than met the expectations of my agency. While a method of relaying signals different than the one used in Project Echo would in fact later provide the basis for a global telecommunications network, Echo-I did prove the viability of communications satellites in general. In addition, as most readers of a certain age will remember, the large size of the inflatable sphere allowed individuals to watch Echo-I as it passed through the evening sky. This gave millions of people around the world evidence of America's participation in the "space race". In my opinion, Project Echo showed the nation's space program at its best; it proved scientifically useful and enhanced our nation's technological image at a reasonable cost.

(Extracted from the foreword, by T. Keith Glennan, former NASA Administrator).

GENERAL TABLE OF CONTENTS

-Foreword. T. Keith Glennan.

-Preface.

-1- The Genesis of a Balloon Satellite.
-2- The Impact of Sputnik.
-3- A Pivotal Year.
-4- The Technology Puzzle.
-5- Final Tests.
-6- Echo in Orbit.
-7- The Politics of Space.

-Epilogue.

-Selected Bibliography.

-Index.

OUR REVIEW

The manuscript of this book, having been awarded on January 12th., 1993 with the "History Manuscript Award" by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, as the best historical description related to science, technology and the impact of aeronautics and astronautics in our society, little can we say about it but emphasize the high quality of its exposition as well as the clarity and historical precision of the events described in the book.

In spite of its being a program financed by NASA, Project Echo, a series of balloon-satellites made with a special, very strong cloth, had not been paid documentary attention on the part of the agency till very recently (see the review of the book Spaceflight Revolution. NASA History Office/GPO. 1995.). Thus, Elder's work, if not the definitive history of the system, is a very important step forward in the information of the achievements Echo accomplished for the American space science. This is a history of pioneers, of the beginnings of the space era, when any idea could become something revolutionary or vanish with the same alacrity as it had been proposed. The case of Project Echo is a special one, however: Basically devised so as to test methods of passive broadcast from low orbit, it would soon be surpassed by active geostationary satellites. Yet Echo would be also useful to satisfy various political expectations as well as interesting scientific objectives (atmospheric characteristics, new materials, etc.) Actually, although not for telecommunication missions, numerous successors have been launched along these years, be it civilian, scientific or military, and it appears that it will continue to happen in the future.