Robert Briskman
Encyclopedia
Robert D. Briskman was the Chief Technical Officer and Executive Vice President, Engineering of Sirius Satellite Radio
since its founding in 1991 and is currently Technical Executive of Sirius XM Radio.
Briskman has been involved with communication satellite systems since their inception. Briskman, the technical innovator of mobile satellite radio services, was responsible for the development, implementation and operation of Sirius Satellite Radio’s broadcast distribution system. His technology development responsibility included design of low cost satellite receiving terminals for automobiles and of broadcast sound programming, earth station, terrestrial repeaters and satellite control facilities. During 2000, Briskman launched three Sirius satellites into a unique operational orbital constellation which he designed. The mobile subscriber radios use his patented space and time diversity technology.
, Hughes Network Systems and Kenwood Corporations. He was responsible for the development of a miniaturized handheld transceiver by Motorola, which was the world’s smallest satellite earth terminal. Briskman served as Senior Vice President, Engineering.
Briskman was employed by the Communications Satellite Corporation (COMSAT) in January 1964, and was responsible initially for satellite command and control activities, including those involved with the launching of INTELSAT I (Early Bird). He was later a Department Manager in the Transmission Systems Division, where he was involved with the development and implementation of the INTELSAT global communications system. Among his efforts, early work in demand assigned single carrier per channel, radio frequency interference minimization and terrestrial interconnection was accomplished. Briskman was responsible from 1967-1973 for the technical planning involved with the provision of domestic communications services via satellites, including AT&T’s satellite systems.
Briskman joined COMSAT General Corporation on its founding in 1973 and was Assistant Vice President, Space and Information Systems. He was responsible for the COMSTAR satellite system, the development of earth resource and information systems, and the implementation of the first remote satellite data collection system in conjunction with the United States
Geological Survey and Telesat Canada
. He directed the construction of the Southbury and Santa Paula earth stations which were used for command and control of both MARISAT
and COMSTAR satellites and for shore communications to the Atlantic and Pacific MARISAT satellites. Briskman joined Satellite Business Systems in mid-1977 where he was responsible for the Pre-Operational Program which provided voice and data communications services to many IBM
facilities in the United States using the first demand-assigned, time division multiple access system ever placed in commercial operations.
Briskman returned to COMSAT General in 1980 where he was responsible as Vice President, Systems Implementation for the engineering of satellites, earth stations and communications technical facilities of COMSAT General and of clients, both within and external to COMSAT. His organization provided a complete range of technical services nationally and internationally, including those involved with software, spectrum engineering and teleconferencing. Briskman was responsible for the PALAPA (Indonesia’s domestic satellite system), MORELOS (Mexico’s domestic satellite system), ARABSAT and ITALSAT programs as well as for providing support to the INMARSAT, INTELSAT, STC (Direct broadcast), TELSTAR-3, ALASCOM, SATCOL, UNISAT, INTELMET, NORDSAT, CHINASAT AND CAMEROON programs.
Prior to COMSAT, Briskman joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA
) during its founding in 1959. At NASA, Briskman was Chief of Program Support for the Office of Tracking and Data Acquisition. He was involved with the development of ground instrumentation for such projects as APOLLO, GEMINI, RANGER, MARINER, and ECHO. Briskman received the APOLLO Achievement Award from NASA for the design and implementation of the Unified S-Band System
. Before NASA, he was employed by IBM in 1954 and worked on the design of the first asynchronous buffer system. After two years of military service as an Electronic Countermeasures Analyst Officer, for which he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Briskman was employed by the Army Security Agency. He was engaged in communications systems development and analysis.
Briskman is a Fellow and past Secretary-Treasurer, Vice President for Technical Activities and Director of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
(IEEE) which gave him the 2008 IEEE AESS Pioneer Award for communications satellite development. He has been president
of the Aerospace and Electronics Systems Society, Director of the National Telecommunications Conference, Chairman of the EASCON Board of Directors, and Chairman of the IEEE Standards Board.
Briskman has authored over fifty technical papers, holds many United States and foreign patents, served on the Industry Advisory Council to NASA, and is a licensed professional engineer. He is a Fellow of the AIAA, which gave him its 2007 Aerospace Communications Award, and the Washington Academy of Science, past President of the Washington Society of Engineers, and a member of IAA, AFCEA and the Old Crows. Briskman has been the Consulting Editor, Telecommunications for the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology over the past decade. He is also a recipient of the IEEE Centennial Medal and has been inducted into the SSPI Hall of Fame and into the Space Technology Hall of Fame by the Space Foundation. Briskman holds a B.S.E. degree from Princeton University
and a M.S.E.E. degree from the University of Maryland which gave him in 2007 its Technology Business Leadership Award.
In 2008 Briskman joined the Board of Directors of GenMobi Technologies, a Silicon Valley company that developed anti-fraud applications including Check-Mates and Authidex.
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
since its founding in 1991 and is currently Technical Executive of Sirius XM Radio.
Briskman has been involved with communication satellite systems since their inception. Briskman, the technical innovator of mobile satellite radio services, was responsible for the development, implementation and operation of Sirius Satellite Radio’s broadcast distribution system. His technology development responsibility included design of low cost satellite receiving terminals for automobiles and of broadcast sound programming, earth station, terrestrial repeaters and satellite control facilities. During 2000, Briskman launched three Sirius satellites into a unique operational orbital constellation which he designed. The mobile subscriber radios use his patented space and time diversity technology.
Career
Prior to Sirius XM Radio, Briskman was with the Geostar Corporation from 1986-1990. He was responsible at Geostar for the development, design, implementation and operation of the Radio Determination Satellite Service provided by Geostar, which allowed positioning and message communications between mobile users nationwide and their dispatch centers. Briskman directed the construction of Geostar’s space segment, the control and operations center and the development of the mobile terminals used on land, sea and airborne vehicles built by the SONYSony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
, Hughes Network Systems and Kenwood Corporations. He was responsible for the development of a miniaturized handheld transceiver by Motorola, which was the world’s smallest satellite earth terminal. Briskman served as Senior Vice President, Engineering.
Briskman was employed by the Communications Satellite Corporation (COMSAT) in January 1964, and was responsible initially for satellite command and control activities, including those involved with the launching of INTELSAT I (Early Bird). He was later a Department Manager in the Transmission Systems Division, where he was involved with the development and implementation of the INTELSAT global communications system. Among his efforts, early work in demand assigned single carrier per channel, radio frequency interference minimization and terrestrial interconnection was accomplished. Briskman was responsible from 1967-1973 for the technical planning involved with the provision of domestic communications services via satellites, including AT&T’s satellite systems.
Briskman joined COMSAT General Corporation on its founding in 1973 and was Assistant Vice President, Space and Information Systems. He was responsible for the COMSTAR satellite system, the development of earth resource and information systems, and the implementation of the first remote satellite data collection system in conjunction with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Geological Survey and Telesat Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He directed the construction of the Southbury and Santa Paula earth stations which were used for command and control of both MARISAT
Marisat
Marisat satellites were the first maritime telecommunications satellites and were designed to provide dependable telecommunications for commercial shipping and the U.S Navy from stable geosynchronous orbital locations over the three major ocean regions. The three Marisat satellites, F1, F2, and F3,...
and COMSTAR satellites and for shore communications to the Atlantic and Pacific MARISAT satellites. Briskman joined Satellite Business Systems in mid-1977 where he was responsible for the Pre-Operational Program which provided voice and data communications services to many IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
facilities in the United States using the first demand-assigned, time division multiple access system ever placed in commercial operations.
Briskman returned to COMSAT General in 1980 where he was responsible as Vice President, Systems Implementation for the engineering of satellites, earth stations and communications technical facilities of COMSAT General and of clients, both within and external to COMSAT. His organization provided a complete range of technical services nationally and internationally, including those involved with software, spectrum engineering and teleconferencing. Briskman was responsible for the PALAPA (Indonesia’s domestic satellite system), MORELOS (Mexico’s domestic satellite system), ARABSAT and ITALSAT programs as well as for providing support to the INMARSAT, INTELSAT, STC (Direct broadcast), TELSTAR-3, ALASCOM, SATCOL, UNISAT, INTELMET, NORDSAT, CHINASAT AND CAMEROON programs.
Prior to COMSAT, Briskman joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
) during its founding in 1959. At NASA, Briskman was Chief of Program Support for the Office of Tracking and Data Acquisition. He was involved with the development of ground instrumentation for such projects as APOLLO, GEMINI, RANGER, MARINER, and ECHO. Briskman received the APOLLO Achievement Award from NASA for the design and implementation of the Unified S-Band System
Unified S-Band
The Unified S-band system was a tracking and communication system developed for the Apollo program by NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory . It operated in the S band portion of the microwave spectrum, combining voice communications, television, telemetry, command, tracking and ranging into a...
. Before NASA, he was employed by IBM in 1954 and worked on the design of the first asynchronous buffer system. After two years of military service as an Electronic Countermeasures Analyst Officer, for which he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Briskman was employed by the Army Security Agency. He was engaged in communications systems development and analysis.
Briskman is a Fellow and past Secretary-Treasurer, Vice President for Technical Activities and Director of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is a non-profit professional association headquartered in New York City that is dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence...
(IEEE) which gave him the 2008 IEEE AESS Pioneer Award for communications satellite development. He has been president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Aerospace and Electronics Systems Society, Director of the National Telecommunications Conference, Chairman of the EASCON Board of Directors, and Chairman of the IEEE Standards Board.
Briskman has authored over fifty technical papers, holds many United States and foreign patents, served on the Industry Advisory Council to NASA, and is a licensed professional engineer. He is a Fellow of the AIAA, which gave him its 2007 Aerospace Communications Award, and the Washington Academy of Science, past President of the Washington Society of Engineers, and a member of IAA, AFCEA and the Old Crows. Briskman has been the Consulting Editor, Telecommunications for the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology over the past decade. He is also a recipient of the IEEE Centennial Medal and has been inducted into the SSPI Hall of Fame and into the Space Technology Hall of Fame by the Space Foundation. Briskman holds a B.S.E. degree from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
and a M.S.E.E. degree from the University of Maryland which gave him in 2007 its Technology Business Leadership Award.
In 2008 Briskman joined the Board of Directors of GenMobi Technologies, a Silicon Valley company that developed anti-fraud applications including Check-Mates and Authidex.
External links
- SIRIUS XM
- AES Society Pioneer Award
- Federal Communications Commission
- Robert Briskman, SIRIUS Satellite Radio's Co-Founder, Awarded the * [2007 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Aerospace Communications Award
- Robert Briskman '54 receives award for founding Sirius radio
- Alumnus and Sirius Satellite Radio Co-Founder Receives AIAA Award
- Satellite Killed The Radio Star Two upstarts, Sirius and XM, plan to rock the radio world. Will their satellite-based service be the next DirecTV or the next Iridium? Stay tuned.
- GenMobi Technologies