Mechanical problems in early satellites were sometimes attributed to cold welding.

Comparisons of the Terra images with those taken from earlier satellites reveal changes over the years.

It had many more experiments and more sophisticated support systems than the earlier satellite.

Satcom was one of the early geostationary satellites; the first were the Syncom series, in 1964.

The faint signature of crossed laser beams, recorded on some earlier satellite passes, was no longer visible.

Most of the early Japanese satellites were for scientific exploration, resulting in many scientific achievements.

The engineering similarities between the missile and the earlier artificial satellite are simply catalogued in the data archives.

Some early satellites had capsules aboard to return film canisters to the Earth.

And with the earliest satellites scheduled for launching in 1993, it is the nearest to getting under way.

These early satellites carried low resolution television and infrared cameras.