President’s Message from Atlas Satellite "Score"
12/19/1958
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On December 18, 1958, the Air Force placed the first communications satellite into orbit. The next day, on December 19, the sound of a human voice was transmitted through space. It was the voice of President Eisenhower, broadcasting a message of peace to the world below.
Fewer than 100 people knew about the project called SCORE (Signal Communications by Orbiting Relay Equipment). The goal was to put an Atlas missile into orbit and to show that communications satellites could transmit messages to Earth. It was a huge technological breakthrough and a milestone in the Space Race. It was the first satellite to relay messages, making Eisenhower's the first human voice to be heard in space.
Fewer than 100 people knew about the project called SCORE (Signal Communications by Orbiting Relay Equipment). The goal was to put an Atlas missile into orbit and to show that communications satellites could transmit messages to Earth. It was a huge technological breakthrough and a milestone in the Space Race. It was the first satellite to relay messages, making Eisenhower's the first human voice to be heard in space.
This primary source comes from the Collection DDE-WHCF: White House Central Files (Eisenhower Administration).
Full Citation: President’s Message from Atlas Satellite 'Score' Launched 12/18/58; 12/19/1958; OF-146-F-2-A Outer-Space, Earth-Circling Satellites, Project Score; Official Files, 1953 - 1961; Collection DDE-WHCF: White House Central Files (Eisenhower Administration); Dwight D. Eisenhower Library, Abilene, KS. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/presidents-message-satellite-score, April 29, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
