Satellite Pioneer, Cyclist, and Mentor

Many people think of Andrew Werth as a pioneer of the satellite industry. Indeed, Werth, who died on January 28, 2009, began his satellite career in 1959 at Comsat Labs during the earliest days of space exploration when the Russian satellite Sputnik was launched. There he developed a series of high-performance satellite modems and was awarded multiple patents in satellite communications applications. In 1972, along with several colleagues, Werth co-founded Digital Communications Corporation—the company that eventually became Hughes Network Systems—in a garage in Gaithersburg, Maryland. As head of the company’s international division, Werth spearheaded the sales and marketing of Hughes satellite networks and products around the globe, seeing the company rise to become the leading provider of broadband satellite solutions on every continent.

Werth was a man of many pursuits—a renowned cyclist, an accomplished linguist, and a mentor to budding satellite professionals. “I was always impressed by Andy’s boundless energy and enthusiasm for every task that he took on,” said Pradman Kaul, Chairman and CEO of Hughes. “He was a key figure in the satellite industry and also a terrific person who was loved by everyone who met him.” Satellite pioneer, cyclist, mentor—Andy Werth will be missed by his many friends at Hughes.