An Interview with Harold A. Rosen: Father of Geostationary Communications Satellites

Article

“An Interview with Harold A. Rosen: Father of Geostationary Communications Satellites,” Interview by Volker Janssen
Published in Quest Volume: 28 #4 (2021)

Abstract

Having worked on early air-defense missile systems and associated radar equipment, engineer Harold A. Rosen realized that the equipment required for a powerful relay need not be heavy—and came up with a clever approach to stabilize a lightweight satellite at geostationary altitude. In this interview, Rosen tells the story of how he and a small team at Hughes Space Systems developed the first truly useful communications satellites—the direct ancestors of satellites that provide direct satellite broadcasting and long-range communications today.

Citation

Rosen, Harold A. “An Interview with Harold A. Rosen: Father of Geostationary Communications Satellites.” Interview with Volker Janssen. Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly 28, no. 4 (2021): 40-60.