In 1964 NASA was still sending up balloon space ships. Then amazingly five years later they claim they were on the moon.
During this time, the first “satellites” used were satalloons, inflatable balloons which were sent up by rocket, and used for satellite communications.
Interestingly at the time these balloons were claimed to have been hit by countless micrometeorites, but today satellites don’t get hit by countless micrometeorites:
“The seemingly frail balloon proved remarkably durable. Though ‘wrinkled like a prune’ (according to press reports) by the tons of micrometeorites that hit, and eventually punctured, its thin skin, the weary traveler kept flying, broadcasting the first television pictures by satellite (images of a rodeo cowboy and a trained seal) in April 1962.
Do you really believe that inflatable balloon was orbiting the earth at 17,000 miles per hour? Why even have a balloon at all. They could have had a square box if it had reached that orbital altitude and velocity. The only reason for a balloon is because they were not orbiting the earth, they were just floating in the air.
