Satellites

In 1958 Kompfner and Pierce became interested in the idea of communication satellites. They wrote a paper exploring the possibilities for such satellites and Rudi's team designed the first one: Echo I. It was launched on the 12th August 1960. Pierce says the work was carried out under Kompfner's "inspiration and direction". Kompfner was also deeply involved with Telstar (1962), the first communications satellite to carry live television across the Atlantic.

Kompfner retired from Bell Labs in July 1973 and thereafter split his time between Stanford University (where he spent the winters) and All Souls College, Oxford (where he enjoyed the summers). At Oxford, his work centred on the use of fine lasers in scanning optical microscopes, whereas at Stanford he turned his attention to acoustical as well as optical microscopes. He left behind him a reputation as a generous and warm-hearted man who readily gave time and sound advice to his students. "No-one ever found him too busy to listen," wrote Pierce. No matter how many projects he had in hand, he always found time to discuss a new one.

Pierce has recounted many anecdotes about Kompfner. At one time Rudi used to conduct seminars for freshmen at his home and in his garage. He and the students suggested projects and one was chosen by vote. One year, he was very disappointed that his own favourite lost by one vote. It was to build a very small swimming pool in which one could swim long distances against a current without moving with respect to the pool. It still sounds like a great idea.

Another of his little inventions was a cat door which would prevent the entry of raccoons¹¹ but still alow the cat in. An abandoned baby raccoon became a pet and he built it a house with an aerial tramway to take it food in winter. There seems to have been a large number of such diversions, including four-legged tables and chairs which would sit evenly on an uneven floor. Another, which Pierce describes as "unqualified success" was a mat or coaster to allow the port and madeira to slide easily along the table.

His short book describing the invention of the travelling-wave tube reveals a good-humoured modesty and the ability to joke and laugh at oneself. In his closing remarks, he stated that if he could live through it all again "I would try not to be so stupid". His mathematics was inadequate, he did not know enough physics, his soldering and glass-blowing were sloppy, he says. “I wanted to get jobs done quickly and therefore did them badly and often had to do them all over again. I found that it pays to take pains¹².”

A professional lesson he learned was not to get side-tracked¹³; doing so cost him far too much time. Yet on one occasion he resisted being side-tracked and missed discovering ferromagnetic resonance; a colleague followed up the lead¹⁴ and made the discovery instead. On two occasions he took expert advice only to be misled into not following through his own convictions. Finally, he remarked, a research worker must have imagination. His travelling-wave tube worked over the entire range of his signal source (60MHz). "That was fine with me," he says. "I should have had more imagination here," he added. "I little realised that I had a device that had a potential of several octaves. Pierce did."

Kompfner's life was not all work, however. As we have seen, he loved swimming and music and he was also a good skier. He met his future wife at a swimming club where he not only swam but played water polo as well. After he suffered a severe heart attack in December 1967, swimming and long walks were part of his recuperation process¹⁵. His love of music extended to playing as well as listening. Though he never mastered reading music he could play the piano well enough to accompany orchestral music from a record or the radio.

He was also something of a romantic, loving the ceremonial side of life at Oxford and delighting in having crossed the Atlantic in Concorde. Presumably he also enjoyed the collection of scientific medals and awards and honorary degrees he received. The latter came from both Oxford and Vienna, and the medals flowed from both sides of the Atlantic.

Late in 1977, Rudi suffered another heart attack. He was rushed from his home to Stanford hospital in California. Although he started to make a sustained recovery, it was not to be¹⁶ and he died on the 3rd December, 1977. He left a legacy of engineering achievements - and research scientists he had trained to listen to expert advice, but not necessarily take it.

Task I

Explain the words:”The secret of starting is to start. Starting means at least doing something”.

Task II

Tell what made Kompfner write the following “I might remark that there is no harm in getting expert advice. But don’t take it”.

Task III

Prove that Kompfner was really a generous and warm-hearted man.

Task IV

Speak on Kompfner’s scientific interests, researches and his most important invention.