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Information > Heritage > History Spotlight
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Project Score
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On Dec. 18, 1958, the Air Force placed in orbit the first artificial communications satellite, a Project Score relay vehicle integral with the four-ton Atlas launcher. The next day, the satellite broadcast a taped recording of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Christmas message--the first time a human voice had been heard from space. (U.S. Army illustration)
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On Dec. 18, 1958, the Air Force placed in orbit the first artificial communications satellite, a Project Score relay vehicle integral with the four-ton Atlas launcher. The next day, the satellite broadcast a taped recording of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Christmas message--the first time a human voice had been heard from space. His message: "This is the President of the United States speaking. Through the marvels of scientific advance, my voice is coming to you from a satellite circling in outer space. My message is a simple one. Through this unique means, I convey to you and all mankind America's wish for peace on earth and good will to men everywhere."
After the Atlas had already been sealed with prerecorded messages, the director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency managed to convince President Eisenhower that the launch was a good opportunity to broadcast a peace message to the world. The substitution of the prerecorded messages had to be done by radio interrogation and transmission with the risk that the news media might intercept it and prematurely publish it. But in the wee hours of Dec.18, 1958, the Signal Corps team succeeded in this tricky task and President Eisenhower's message was heard instead.
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