Charyk, Joseph Vincent

Canadian-American engineer. Chief Scientist, USAF, and First Director, NRO, 1961-1963. Founder of geosynchronous communications satellite industry. Headed Comsat as President, CEO, Chairman, 1963-1985.

Joseph V. Charyk was under secretary of the Air Force (1960-1963) and later returned to aerospace industry, serving as first president of Communications Satellite Corporation after 1963, CEO . Charyk decided to make geosynchronous satellites the basis of the Comsat network. He fought skepticism that this untested technology wouldn't work for voice transmission because of a half-second time delay. He also raised funds to support this new industry and enlisted the cooperation of countries around the world. His efforts launched a global system that would eventually seem commonplace to billions of people around the world.