It is with sadness that we inform you of the unexpected death of our Director, Professor Burt Edelson.  Prof. Edelson died following a massive heart attack January 6, 2002 in New York City, where he was visiting family and friends.

Prof. Edelson was a true pioneer of space science and applications and for more than 40 years provided visionary leadership especially in the field of satellite communications.

A graduate of the US Naval Academy, Class of 1947, he went on to receive his M.S. and Ph. D. degrees from Yale University in Metallurgy as part of his military service.

He was assigned to the Naval Research Laboratory in the mid-1950s where he started a series of distinguished space applications projects in navigation and positioning and in 1959 started the US Navy program in satellite communications.  Commander Edelson was assigned from 1962-65 to the new White House National Space Council. Upon his retirement from the Navy in 1967, he joined Comsat Corporation, as the Deputy Director of the fledgling Comsat Laboratories. He became its Director in 1972, building it to an internationally acclaimed R&D Center in satellite communications.

Dr. Edelson provided the vision and leadership for a large number of new satellite communications components, systems and applications including the development of small ground and ship terminals, space teleports, and Geo-stationary platforms. Dr. Edelson retired from Comsat as a Senior Vice President in 1982.  He then joined NASA as its Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications.  He reestablished space science in NASA by initiating or directing the "Big Five" science programs, Hubble, Cassini, Galileo, Magellan, and the MARS Explorer, In addition he provided the initial leadership to the Mission To Planet Earth program and the Advanced Communications Technology (ACTS) Satellite.  He had responsibility for two NASA Centers, the Goddard Space Flight Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratories.  Dr. Edelson retired from NASA in 1986 and became a Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University SAIS.

His desire to have a satellite communications R&D center with engineering capability resulted in 1991 with his founding the Institute for Applied Space Research at the School of Engineering and Applied Science of the George Washington University.  He remained active directing R&D projects, primarily in high data rate satellite communications, until his death.  He was 75.

Dr. Edelson co-authored a number of books on satellite communications and had over 75 technical publications.  He chaired national and international committees on science and engineering and served on the Boards of a number of emerging companies.  He always emphasised the global nature of space  and co-founded a number of international space programs including the Japan-US Science Technology and Space Applications Program.  He was a Member of the International Academy of Astronautics, a Life Fellow of the IEEE, and a Fellow of the AIAA, the AAAS and the British Interplanetary Society.  He was a Member of the Cosmos and Army-Navy Club.  He received numerous awards including the US Navy Legion of Merit, the Yale University Wilbur Cross Medal, the NASA Exceptional Service Medal and the SSPI Hall of Fame Award.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 49 years, Betty Good Edelson; his sons Stephen, John, and Daniel and their wives Margaret, Catherine, and Vivian; and his grandchildren Rachel, Kate, David, Rose and William.

Graveside services will be held at Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, January 10 at 9:00 a.m.  Guests should arrive by 8:30.

A memorial service will be held Thursday, January 10 at the Cosmos Club, 2121 Massachusetts Ave, N.W., Washington DC 20008, at 1:30 p.m. There will be an opportunity to visit with the family following the service.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Yale University Engineering Alumni Fund.  Checks should be payable to Yale University and designated for the Engineering Alumni Fund in memory of Burton I. Edelson.  The mailing address is Office of Development, Yale University, PO Box 2038, New Haven, CT 06521 (Attn: Drew Ackerman).

Directions for Arlington Cemetery: Enter through the main entrance on Memorial Drive directly across from the Memorial Bridge.  At the security checkpoint, identify yourself as a guest for the "Edelson service".  You will be directed to the Administration Building.  Inside there is a waiting area where cemetary personnel will announce the time and place to assemble the automobile procession.

Neil Helm
Joseph Pelton Deputy Directors Institute for Applied Space Research
The George Washington University

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