On This Day in Telephone History September 13TH 1961 Western Electric’s Global Network used for NASA Orbiting Spacecraft. Mercury spacecraft proved in NASA network with the successful flight of an unmanned Mercury craft, tracked by a world-wide network which Western Electric turned over to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The 18-station network was built around the globe to track, monitor and provide communications with manned orbiting spacecraft in the future.

On This Day in Telephone History September 13TH 1961

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On This Day in Telephone History September 13TH 1961 Western Electric’s Global Network used for NASA Orbiting Spacecraft. Mercury spacecraft proved in NASA network with the successful flight of an unmanned Mercury craft, tracked by a world-wide network which Western Electric turned over to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The 18-station network was built around the globe to track, monitor and provide communications with manned orbiting spacecraft in the future.