I remember watching that first big broadcast between the US, England and France. It was a big big story at the time. I also remember the problem caused by the radiation, but don’t remember it being because of the EMP form atomic tests. If it was reported as such I never heard it. I remember the temporary fix and thought that was so clever to be able to repair the satellite from the ground. It was the first of many miraculous saves of spacecraft over the years.

It’s hard for the young people of today to understand how difficult communication between America and Europe was back then. No instant video of the latest events, the war, terrorist attacks etc. The best they could do is next day low-resolution film or faxed pictures through the undersea cables. So it was indeed a big story to be able to see a live broadcast from Europe.