1.
AERIAL VIEW ANDOVER, MAINE, STATION
0.06

2.
CU "EARTH STATION" SIGN
0.10

3.
SLV STATION DOME MIX TO UNDER DOME
0.17

4.
CU DITTO COG OF TURNING MECHANISM
0.25

5.
SV TECHNICIANS SCAN NUMBERS TURNING
0.34

6.
LV SAUCER AERIAL AT GOONHILLY DOWNS
0.37

7.
SV TECHNICIANS WATCH TV SCREENS
1.00

8.
LV SAUCER AERIAL
1.04

9.
SV HAND ADJUSTS TV RECEIVER AS PICTURE APPEARS
1.35



Initials DD/S/WH/ DD



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: A 34 1/2 INCH BLUE AND SILVER SPHERE ORBITING THE EARTH EVERY 158 MINUTES AT SPEEDS UP TO 18,380 M.P.H., BECOME THE WORLD'S FIRST SPACE TELEVISION RELAY STATION WHEN, IN THE EARLY HOURS OF JULY 11TH A 19 MINUTE PROGRAMME TRANSMITTED FROM ANDOVER, MAINE, U.S.A., WAS PICKED UP IN EUROPE.

COSTING SOME GBP20 MILLION, THE SATELLITE CARRIED TRANSMITTING EQUIPMENT AND AMPLIFYING GEAR SO SENSITIVE THAT IT PICKED UP AND RETRANSMITTED THE TELEVISION SIGNALS BOOSTED SOME 10,000 MILLION TIMES. IT WAS ONE OF THESE SIGNALS THAT WAS PICKED UP IN BRITAIN AT THE RADIO TELEPHONE STATION AT GOONHILLY DOWNS, CORNWALL, WHERE SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS WORKED NON-STOP ON NEW EQUIPMENT BEING USED FOR THE FIRST TIME. AND OVER THEIR SHOULDERS THOUSAND OF BRITONS SAT UP TO WATCH THE SCENE THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF TELEVISION.

IT WAS ON TELSTAR'S SIXTH ORBIT - AFTER IT HAD RELAYED PICTURES BACK TO AMERICA FROM ANDOVER - THAT GOONHILLY RECEIVED ITS PICTURE. ALTHOUGH RECEPTION WAS BLURRED, A PICTURE OF MAN'S HEAD AND SHOULDERS COULD BE EASILY RECOGNISED. AND AT ONCE PREPARATIONS WERE MADE TO PICK UP A PICTURE DURING THE SATELLITE'S SEVENTH ORBIT.

HOWEVER, AT THE FRENCH STATION AT PLEUMEUR BODOU ON THE COAST OF BRITTANY, ENGINEERS WERE JUBILANT. ONE OFFICIALS SAID THAT THEY HAD PICKED UP THE FULL 19 MINUTE PROGRAMME AND THE PICTURE WAS OF 'REMARKABLE CLARITY' AS IF IT WAS BEING TRANSMITTED FROM 20 MILES AWAY.