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Background: Project Echo - the NASA experiment in international communications by orbiting satellites. Film shows preshooting as the Thor-Delta three stage rocket is prepared for the flight 1,000 miles from the earth. The satellite will be a self-inflating plastic balloon.

If and when the balloon satellite is put into orbit short wave radio signals will be bounced off it between two stations on opposite sides of America and 2,300 miles apart, in California and New Jersey. The experiment is to test the feasibility of using such balloons for intercontinental communications - radio, telephone and TV.

When in orbit the balloon would have the brilliancy of seven times the North Star and would circle the earth every two hours.

A previous Echo launch on May 13 was a failure.