Mr. Berry, whose career spanned the company's transition from Philco-Ford to Ford Aerospace and then Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), currently consults with government and commercial interests to explore new applications arising from combining satellite, wireless, and fibered transmission. During retirement, Mr. Berry intends to continue influencing the satellite industry. "While this marks my official retirement from SS/L, I intend to stay involved in the industry," said Mr. Berry. "My hope is to continue making a contribution to the ongoing expansion of satellite capabilities and satellite services."
With a space industry career that launched in 1957, Robert Berry played a fundamental role in the creation of today's commercial satellite business. Under his leadership, SS/L developed some of the world's most innovative communications and meteorological satellite projects for defense, civil, and commercial applications. Mr. Berry was instrumental in providing three generations of satellite platforms to Intelsat, helping the intergovernmental consortium provide fixed satellite services to more than 149 countries, territories, and dependencies. The recipient of multiple awards, Mr. Berry was inducted into the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame in February 2009 for his outstanding professional achievement and significant contributions to the Silicon Valley community. In 2007, he was inducted into the Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) Hall of Fame and he received the ISCe Lifetime achievement award. In 2003, he received the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation Award for his leadership, creative engineering, and management role in the design and launch of more than 170 satellites. In 1996, Mr. Berry was selected for the Aerospace Communications Award of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). He was named a Fellow of the AIAA in 1999, and he holds a Life Membership in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).