page_title: January 1964
hierarchical_section_title: January 1964
caption_attribution_description: English: Shown here is the 135-foot rigidized inflatable balloon satellite undergoing tensile stress test in a dirigible hangar at Weekesville, North Carolina. The satellite, 50 times more rigidized than Echo I was placed into orbit as a passive communications experiment by NASA on January 25, 1964. When folded satellite is packed into the 41-inch diameter canister shown in the foreground.
context_page_description: The following events occurred in January 1964:
context_section_description: The following events occurred in January 1964:
caption: January 25, 1964: Echo 2, largest artificial satellite ever, put into orbit
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