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www.southgatearc.org
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A look back in historyPassing away last week, we remember a WWII vet who helped launch the 1st civilian satellite Richard 'Dick' Esneault never had a day of basic training, never fired a shot in a war and never finished college. But the electronics whiz of the 1940s was a highly-sought-after non-combatant soldier during World War II. He also became a successful Huntsville business owner during the height of the 1960's boom. Outside his family, Esneault's biggest accomplishment was his role in helping develop and launch the first civilian satellite, OSCAR (Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio), made by a group of ham radio operators. The 10-pound, three-watt radio transmitter was launched Dec. 12, 1961, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, riding on the back of an Atlas-Agena booster carrying a military reconnaissance satellite. Its Morse code message, "Hi," was received by more than 570 radio amateur tracking stations in 28 countries. The homemade satellite, built primarily from donated parts at an out-of-pocket cost of $63, beat the multimillion-dollar satellite Telstar to space by seven months. It captured the attention of broadcast legend Edward R. Murrow, who told then-President John Kennedy about it. Kennedy said of OSCAR: "This is exactly what we're looking for.. a peaceful use of space." In a Dec. 12, 1986, article in The Times, Esneault said Kennedy was responsible for giving OSCAR the go-ahead to ride aboard a military mission. Esneault became an avid ham radio operator and received his license at age 13. While in high school, he took night lessons to learn Morse code so he could be certified by the Federal Communications Commission. His instructor was so impressed with his aptitude, he offered the teenager a job with Pan American World Airways. He finished high school a year early to join Pan Am as a subcontractor
for the U.S. government with the Naval Air Corps. After about three months,
Esneault was told to sign up with the Navy in case he was shot down. If
shot down and captured and not registered in the military, he could be
Another case of "We are History, We are Ham Operators".
Source: Wireless Institute of Australia
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