Project SCORE- 50th Anniversary Celebration

Big Party.

December 18, 2008

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_SCORE

SCORE's technical objectives were two-fold. In addition to showing that
an Atlas missile could be put into orbit, the project demonstrated the
feasibility of transmitting messages through the upper atmosphere from
one ground station to one or more ground stations. The result of the
project, which used both realtime and store and forward techniques, was
unquestionably a major scientific breakthrough which proved that active
communications satellites could provide a means of transmitting messages
from one point to any other on the planet Earth.

SCORE, as a geo-political strategy, placed the United States at an even
technological par with the Soviet Union as a highly functional response
to the Sputnik satellites.

"This is the President of the United States speaking. Through the
marvels of scientific advance, my voice is coming to you via 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 goodwill toward men everywhere."

That should be the US message to the world WRT - the space program.

It was the first ever kerosene stage and a half to orbit spaceflight.