Communications satellites are artificial satellites stationed in space to enable telecommunications. They provide microwave radio relay technology as a complement to communication cables, and are used for mobile applications like ship-to-shore communications as well as broadcasting television and radio signals where cable infrastructure is impractical. The first artificial satellite was Sputnik 1 launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, while the first satellite to relay communications was Project SCORE launched by the US in 1958. Modern satellite telecommunications became possible with the launch of geostationary satellites in the 1960s, enabling constant communication coverage over a single region from a single orbiting satellite.