From wooden pigeons to Telstar: Precursors of modern maritime satellite communications

This research note identifies the precursors of the satellite communications systems that are basic to modern shipping activity. It comprises two main sections: first, an outline is provided of the evolution of communication technology from the earliest experiments in rockets in the fifth century BC to the 1950s; second, there is a discussion of the significant development of satellite technology in the 1960s and 1970s.