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At Cape Canaveral, the Courier communications satellite is viewed before
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its launching into orbit. The 51-inch sphere packed with 300 pounds of
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equipment is carried into orbit by a Thor-Able star missile, currently
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the workhorse of American deep space research. This will be the 100th
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successful firing of the Thor missile and it will carry into orbit
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a satellite even more remarkable than the recent Echo.
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[sound of rocket launching]
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Unlike the Echo, which mirrors back Earth transmissions, the Courier is
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equipped to receive and rebroadcast messages from the ground.
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Marking the third anniversary of the space age, Courier relayed a message
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from the President to the United Nations, a major stride toward
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a new worldwide communications system.
