Satellite skin, Echo 1

This swatch is aluminized mylar from the same batch of material used to construct the Echo 1 satellite.

Launched in 1960, Echo 1 was one of the first attempts to assess requirements and techniques for conducting communications via space. The satellite was a remarkably simple device: A reflective sphere 30 meters (100 feet) in diameter. Serving as a "mirror" in space, signals were directed at the satellite from one location on Earth, and reflected back down to another location.

Aluminized mylar, lightweight and durable, provided the mirror-like surface. To manufacture this material, clear mylar was coated with aluminum in a vacuum.

This artifact was transferred to the Museum from NASA in 1960.