About Plantronics

From Santa Cruz to Tranquility Base: The Lightweight Headset Takes Flight

In 1961 a pilot from Santa Cruz, California had an idea and eight years later that same idea would carry the historic first words from the moon: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." The idea was a lightweight communications headset.

Originally designed for use by airline pilots as an alternative to the bulky headphones of the day, the lightweight design soon caught the eye of NASA. Beginning with the final two Mercury flights, Plantronics headsets were used exclusively by the crews of the Gemini and Apollo programs, including all the lunar missions, as well as on the ground by mission controllers.

About Plantronics

Other mission-critical customers soon took note. In the mid '60s, the Federal Aviation Agency selected Plantronics as the sole supplier of headsets for air traffic controllers, a privilege Plantronics still holds today. And in a critical milestone for the company, Plantronics was soon selected to supply headsets to the operators of the Bell Telephone company.

Today, headsets have become mainstream, and Plantronics provides a wide range of products from mission-critical and business-critical applications to personal communications and entertainment. In the office, Plantronics is leading a wireless revolution with products that deliver unprecedented freedom and mobility to take your conversations further. From outer space to office space, Plantronics headsets set the standard.