As well as being a major technological innovation, the Intelsat (the International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation) system, launched in the early 1960s, was an attempt by the United States to demonstrate its superiority over the Soviet Union politically and in the space race, said Dr Hugh Slotten, a senior lecturer in the film, media and communications department, this week.
"It happened in a Cold War context.
"By the time the US began [promoting] the idea of a satellite communication system open to all countries in the world, Russia had already launched the world's first satellite [Sputnik in 1957] and the world's first manned space flight [Yuri Gagarin aboard Vostok 1 in 1961]."
Dr Slotten has already written several articles about the topic and will use his 12-month sojourn and $US100,000 stipend as the Charles A.
Lindberg Chair in Aerospace History at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington to complete his research and finish writing a book.
He will take up his fellowship about the middle of next year.
Dr Slotten, from Pennsylvania, in the US, came to Dunedin six years ago to take up his teaching position.
He said he was pleased to have won the fellowship.
"It is a big deal, even though I am an American."
Much of the information about the Intelsat and US attempts to get other countries on board was still classified, he said.
Obtaining it meant seeking permission from organisations such as the CIA and the National Security Agency.
Unclassified information was able to be found at the US National Archives in Washington.
Being Washington-based would allow him to try interviewing ageing Intelsat personnel before they died, he said.
"Many of them have been interviewed already and transcripts are available, but I will try and talk to them myself."
Dr Slotten said he also hoped to research the history of Echelon, the network of bases in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere built to monitor telephone calls and other satellite signals.
New Zealand's base is at Waihopai.
He said he had been fascinated about the power plays in the communication industry.
"There is some international political intrigue there."
