Inaugural lecture

The history of satellite communication, starting with the Telstar satellite (launched in 1962) and evolving through a series of the Intelsat I-VI global satellites is reviewed, presenting main characteristics and technological innovations introduced into consecutively designed satellites. In particular, the solution of depolarization problems for propagation of radiowaves (caused by trophospheric precipitation particles), the creation of single-channel-per-carrier (SCPC) systems, and use of syllabic companders in a frequency modulation SCPC satellite system, the use of time division multiple access mode in the current satellites and other innovations have culminated in the design of an 'intelligent', on-board-processing (OBP) satellite. The OBP-type missions are projected to be flown aboard US and Japan missions in the late 1980s.