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50 Years Ago Today – The Birth of Satellite Communications

July 10, 2012 by 1 Comment
First Satellite TV in the UK received by Goonhilly
The Telstar Satellite

The Telstar Satellite

10th July 1962 marked the birth of satellite communications. Exactly 50 years ago today the Telstar satellite commenced its journey into space from Cape Canaveral and became the first ever active commercial communications satellite. It carried the first live trans-Atlantic TV broadcasts.

These days, satellite launches are commonplace and polar orbits, MEO orbits, Molniya orbits, Tundra orbits and the geostationary orbit are filled with communications satellites operating at frequency bands from UHF through L-Band, S-Band, C-Band, X-Band, Ku-Band, Ka-Band and above. As at 1st January 2012 there were 419 satellites operating in the geostationary orbit alone.

I’m not writing this as a “third party commentator”, but as someone who has been intimately involved with and has contributed to the development of satellite communications [Read more…]

Filed Under: Communication Satellites, Earth Stations, Telecommunications

New Asia-Pacific Editor for SatMagazine + MilsatMagazine

December 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Well, I guess the time has arrived for me to come in from the cold and own up to who I really am!

I’m Dr Bob Gough, managing director of Carrick Communications Ltd, and I’ve just been appointed as the Asia-Pacific Editor for SatMagazine and MilsatMagazine. These are published monthly by the long-established Satnews Publishers, which is arguably the market leading publisher in the field. I’ll be contributing to the Insight and Focus features of both magazines.

I’m really excited by this because, as you’ll have realised, I’m very much into satellite communications and space, and I also like writing – I enjoy trying to paint pictures in readers’ minds.
I’ve got a feeling that this could become an all-consuming activity!

As part of this editorial position, I’m always on the lookout for newsworthy stories, [Read more…]

Filed Under: Organisations, Telecommunications

Help Save Goonhilly Earth Station Complex

October 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Photo courtesy of and copyright Ian Jones, 2011

Goonhilly 3 Antenna and the Orion Constellation

Everybody’s heard of Goonhilly, haven’t they? No? I’m amazed, so here’s the story of a piece of UK National and technological heritage and why it desperately needs your support right now.

There’s an urgent petition to the UK Government which needs to be considered and, if agreed with, then signed by all people who do not want to see yet another piece of national heritage callously discarded by short-term-interest politicians and NMP (not my problem) bureaucrats.
If I sound cynical, just look at what the last Government did with the Foreign Office Library. They scrapped it! Apparently, you can now find original, ancient treaties etc of the British Empire for sale on EBay!!!

The petition site is at http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/goonhilly

Goonhilly Downs – a windswept, out-of-the-way location on the Lizard peninsular by the Atlantic Ocean in south west Cornwall, England became a dramatic focal point at the dawn of the satellite communications era. Why, you might ask? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Countries, Earth Station Locations, Earth Stations, Organisations, Telecommunications

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