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Taken almost 50 years ago, this photo shows an inflation test of Echo 1 in Weeksville, N.C. ECHO 1 was America's first passive communications satellite, basically - a 135 foot diameter Mylar balloon that reflected radio signals. Despite its incredibly crude technology, the Echo series of balloon satellites were immensely popular with the general public at the time as they could be clearly seen with the naked eye as they passed overhead in their orbits.

Credit: NASA/JPL Archive.