HAROLD A. ROSEN (1926-2017)

BY STEVEN BATTEL

HAROLD ALLEN ROSEN, the father of geostationary satellite communications, passed away on Jan. 30, 2017, at the age of 90. He was born on March 20, 1926, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to parents Isadore and Anna.

He graduated high school at the age of 15 and began his undergraduate studies in electrical engineering at Tulane University, although his studies were interrupted by service in the U.S. Navy from 1944-1946. Following his service in the Navy as a radio communications and radar technician, Hal returned to Tulane and completed his undergraduate studies. In 1947 he began his graduate studies in electrical engineering at the California Institute of Technology under William Pickering (NAE 1964, NAS 1962), a data telemetering pioneer and future director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Hal completed his Ph.D. in 1951 while also working part-time at the Raytheon Company. After receiving his doctorate, he continued working at Raytheon, tasked with improving antiaircraft guided missiles and associated radar systems. In 1956 he joined Hughes Aircraft Company, and in 1957, spurred by the launch of Sputnik, he began working with Thomas Hudspeth and Don Williams on commercial communication relay technology that was far ahead of what other companies were considering and doing. The result was the oblate spin-stabilized syncom (synchronous communication) satellite system. The first-generation syncom series of satellites was soon followed by the iconic HS-333 Hughes Dual Spinner and then the innovative gyrostat stabilized system invented by Anthony Iorillo (NAE 1986). Together, these satellites developed under Dr. Rosen truly launched the geosynchronous communication satellite age.

Dr. Rosen remained at Hughes until his retirement in 1992, although he continued to serve as a consultant for and be involved in the company’s technology development. To complete Hal’s remarkable life story, it did not end with the development of more than 150 satellites at Hughes but transitioned into new engineering and business adventures with his wife and well-known engineer, Deborah Castleman, brother Ben, and others. Among these businesses, Hal founded Rosen Motors to develop a hybrid-electric automotive power train using a very high-speed, magnetically suspended, carbon-composite flywheel. Another venture, Volacom, involved the development of specialized, high-endurance, high-altitude aircraft platforms employing a novel hydrogen-powered electric power plant. Like his work for Hughes, the goal of Volacom was communications, in this case to provide wireless internet service to cities via a fleet of circling drones.

Dr. Rosen held more than 50 patents and, in recognition of his groundbreaking work, received many honors. Among other recognitions, he was awarded the National Medal of Technology in 1985, was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2003, received the Philip J. Klass Lifetime Achievement Award from Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine in 2014, and received the Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy from the National Space Club in 2015.

The enduring hallmark of Dr. Rosen’s work is that he was broadly interdisciplinary in his engineering and management approaches. He was a true technology leader, making a pioneering impact not only on commercial satellite communication technology but also through his influence on the Hughes engineering culture. Hughes was a uniquely creative place to work and was rightly considered one of the crown jewels of the nation’s aerospace program. The impact of his ideas and approaches began in the 1950s, extended after his retirement from Hughes, and continues all the way to today through his influence on the many engineers and scientists who worked with him.

Hal was not only a technical genius but also a mentor to many. As one former colleague recalls, “Everyone at Hughes respected and liked Hal… He was amazing. His ability to work on any element of any satellite was breathtaking. At reviews he could critique and improve on almost every design. In addition, he could literally create new concepts for satellite technology that led to significant advances in both design and performance.” Another former colleague at Hughes remembers, “I was always impressed at his ability to dig into fine details of our work and I was able many times to benefit from his advice and insights. Talking to him in person was always a pleasure. He had a gentle nature and was interested in originality and in new developments. It was almost like he was learning alongside us but of course we knew he was thinking way ahead of everyone!” A colleague who worked with Dr. Rosen in the late 1990s on the Spaceway Program, which became DirecTV, recalls, “Harold became a valuable supporter of me in my career. We developed a friendship of mutual respect and I held him in very high regard. He was a role model to me and countless others who had the wonderful opportunity to work with him. He was a great teacher and mentor and he would go out of his way to compliment me in public as a way to build my credibility and was always looking for opportunities to promote others and help them grow in their career. He was a very caring and giving person. Harold led a full life and his contributions are truly immeasurable.”

Dr. Rosen is survived by his wife Deborah, his sons Robert and Rocky, his brother Ben, and multiple grandchildren.