Misplaced Pages

Joseph V. Charyk
1st Director of the National Reconnaissance Office
In office September 6, 1961 – March 1, 1963
President	John F. Kennedy
Succeeded by	Brockway McMillan
7th United States Under Secretary of the Air Force
In office January 28, 1960 – March 1, 1963
President	Dwight D. Eisenhower John F. Kennedy
Preceded by	Dudley C. Sharp
Succeeded by	Brockway McMillan
Personal details
Born	Joseph Vincent Charyk (1920-09-09)September 9, 1920 Canmore, Alberta, Canada
Died	September 28, 2016(2016-09-28) (aged 96) Delray Beach, Florida, U.S.
Residence(s)	Delray Beach, Florida
Alma mater	University of Alberta California Institute of Technology
Occupation	Government official, space scientist

Joseph Vincent Charyk (September 9, 1920 – September 28, 2016) was widely credited as the founder of the geosynchronous communications satellite industry. He was born in Canmore, Alberta to a Ukrainian family. Early in his career, Charyk consolidated the Central Intelligence Agency, United States Air Force, and United States Navy space programs into the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). He brought the first United States imagery satellite, CORONA, into operation and demonstrated signals intelligence technology from space. During his tenure, the NRO operated the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft and managed development of the A-12.

In 1980, Charyk was elevated to the grade of IEEE fellow for leadership in the development and application of communications satellite systems.

Charyk served as Chief Scientist of the United States Air Force until he was appointed the Undersecretary of the Air Force. In 1961 he was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to be the first Director of the National Reconnaissance Office. He later returned to aerospace industry, serving as first president of Communications Satellite Corporation. Charyk decided to make geosynchronous satellites the basis of the Comsat network. He fought skepticism that this untested technology would not 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. While at Comsat, Charyk served as President, CEO, and Chairman from 1963 to 1985.

Charyk earned his bachelor's degree in engineering and physics from the University of Alberta and his PhD in Aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology. In 1973 Charyk was inducted into the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering for "basic contributions relating to space flight and leadership in development of communications satellites". In 1974 he received the International Emmy Directorate Award for his work with COMSAT. In 1987 President Ronald Reagan awarded Charyk the National Medal of Technology and Innovation "or employment of the concept of the geosynchronous communications satellite systems as the basis for a global telecommunications system, established by international agreement, and for his guidance in the development and growth of the Intelsat system, which today services over 150 nations and territories". Charyk died on September 28, 2016, at the age of 96.

References

1. Laurie, Clayton. Leaders of the National Reconnaissance Office 1961-2001. Office of the Historian, National Reconnaissance Office. 1 May 2002.
2. National Reconnaissance Office. "NRO Directors: Dr. Joseph Charyk". nro.gov. Archived from the original on 23 February 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
3. "IEEE Fellows 1980 | IEEE Communications Society".
4. Ford, Towbridge. "This History of the NRO". rockythedog.net. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
5. "Charyk". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on August 11, 2002. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
6. National Academy of Engineering. "NAE Members". National Academy of Engineering. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
7. "Previous Awards". iemmys.tv. Archived from the original on 2007-12-05. Retrieved 2010-04-06.
8. "The National Medal of Technology and Innovation Recipients". uspto.gov. 7 February 2023.
9. "Obituary For: Joseph Vincent Charyk". Retrieved October 3, 2016.

External links

• National Reconnaissance Office: Directors List

v t e List of National Reconnaissance Office Leadership
DNRO	Charyk McMillan Flax McLucas Plummer Reed Mark Hermann Aldridge Faga Harris Hall Teets Kerr Large Carlson Sapp Scolese
PDDNRO	Keifer Reber Naka Singel Cook Haas Hill Hall Kier Fitzgerald Large Haller Sapp Calvelli Meink
DDNRO	Sheridan Pawlikowski Mashiko Cotton Denker Baird Guetlein Shipton Povak
Program A	Greer Martin King Allen Bradburn Kulpa Jacobson Lindsay
Program B	Scoville Ledford Sheldon Duckett Dirks Hineman Caballero
Program C	Lowrance Taylor Fluckey Harlfinger Geiger Darcy Yowell Patterson Brooks Betterton Sprague
Program D	Geary Saunders Hartley Bailey

• 1920 births
• 2016 deaths
• Directors of the National Reconnaissance Office
• National Medal of Technology recipients
• Chief Scientists of the United States Air Force
• People from Canmore, Alberta
• People from Delray Beach, Florida
• American people of Ukrainian descent
• Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering
• International Emmy Directorate Award
• University of Alberta alumni
• Kennedy administration personnel
• Canadian emigrants to the United States