In the 1950s, there were no communications satellites. Global broadcasting, for the most part, used undersea cables. This reliance on fragile cables concerned the US military. Worried that a Soviet attack could have forced the US to use unreliable long-range radio for communications, American researchers looked for a solution. The result of their research was Project Needles, later renamed Project West Ford, a plan that would see rockets deposit tons of copper needles into space, eventually forming a solid ring around the globe that could be used for long-distance communication. After one failed and one semi-successful trial, the project was scrapped, with Telstar, the first modern satellite, already orbiting the globe. For a detailed...
via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/14/4620202/nasa-planned-to-encircle-the-globe-with-copper
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