TelAstra is an objective management consulting firm dedicated to universal communications service. The company counsels service operators, system producers, and investors in business and financial aspects of the telecommunications industry. Mr. Rusch is a pioneer in the satellite communications industry with 38 years of contributions to space technology. He has been responsible for the management of all aspects of satellite manufacturing including design, systems engineering, production, testing, and business development. He has held senior positions at Hughes Space and Communications Group, Space Systems / Loral (then Ford Aerospace), and TRW. Managed the construction and launch of INTELSAT IV satellites, including the satellite that was used to relay the first television pictures of President Nixon's visit to China in 1972.

• First program manager and Technical Director for the highly reliable INTELSAT V series of satellites. These satellites were first launched in 1980 and were the work horses of the fleet for more than 15 years.

• Director of Systems Engineering and Integration for the TRW Federal Systems Division which managed the NASA programs including TDRSS, Space Station Studies, AXAF, GRO (Compton), and OMV.

• Creator, inventor, architect, (vice president) for Odyssey™, a concept for providing Mobile Satellite Services to personal telephones. Odyssey™ was one of six "Big LEO" systems for personal communications.

• Member of the FCC Negotiated Rule Making Committees for the Big LEO deliberations and the 27.5 GHz to 29.5 GHz (Ka) band.

• Successfully coordinated use of spectrum for mobile services with Iridium and Globalstar, feeder links with Iridium and the GEO Ka-band systems, navigation with Glonass, and the radioastronomy service.

• U.S. Delegate to WARC'92, WRC-95, and the World Telecommunications Policy Forum in Geneva, October, 1996.

• Publisher of COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE DATA BASES for the past 15 years. These data provide comprehensive records of the cost, schedule, technical, and operational performance of all the communications satellites built and launched.

• Prepared two comprehensive studies for the European Space Agency called Financial and Business Evaluation of New MultiMedia Satellite Systems. Part 1 (Ka-band) and Part 2 (Q/V and Ka-band update).

• Recipient of several patents for inventions in the field of space communications. The patents for Odyssey were sold to ICO Global for US$150 M.

• Participant in advisory panels including the National Academy of Sciences, keynote speaker for three major industry conferences and author of numerous papers on satellite communications.