In 1960, NASA launched one of the first communications satellites, called "Echo." It consisted of a 100 foot in diameter silvered Mylar balloon, which, once in orbit, deployed and inflated. It was a passive communications satellite which would, as its name implied, simply reflected signals back to earth.

One evening in late summer of 1960, my parents and I stood out in the front yard and watched it pass over our house—wa-a-a-a-ay up there. A very bright star-like light in the distant sky. It was followed by another dimmer light that slowly waxed and waned. The last stage of the multistage booster rocket at also gone into orbit and was slowly tumbling end over end. Most impressive!

But peppered by micrometeorites, Echo began to shrink and pucker, until it disappeared from view. It may still be up there, but more likely, fell back into the atmosphere and burned up.

Two years later, in 1962, a more successful communications satellite went into orbit—Telstar 1. It relayed transAtlantic telephone calls and television signals. Ten months later, in 1963, Telstar 2 went into orbit.

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Anybody want to go on the Mars One project? To establish the first colony on Mars?

Sounds Epic! But keep in mind that it will be a one-way trip, you will be living in what looks like a high-tech igloo (several joined together with tunnels), and you won't be able to go outside without a pressure suit (quite chic!).

No more trips to the local Burger-King. But you might meet Dejah Thoris. And maybe even Tars Tarkis…..

Don Firth