Past AMSAT-NA President Frank Robert “Robin” Haighton, VE3FRH, of Burlington, Ontario, died on December 2, after suffering a stroke in late November. A Life Member of Radio Amateurs of Canada and a member of ARRL, he was 79. Haighton served as AMSAT-NA president from 2000 until 2004, succeeding Keith Baker, KB1SF. Prior to that, he was an AMSAT executive vice president and a long-time member of the Board of Directors. As a founding member of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) project, he was one of two delegates from Canada.

“Robin contributed significantly to ARISS through his ideas, guidance, and wise counsel,” said AMSAT Vice President for Human Spaceflight and ARISS-International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO. “He challenged members of our team to look at things in a different perspective. As a result of his sage advice, we were able to work through these issues and arrive at a common approach, both in developing and delivering ARISS hardware as well as supporting the technical mentoring of schools and local hams.”

Haighton was instrumental in coordinating AMSAT's consultant role with the Canadian MOST (Microvariability and Oscillations of STars) satellite project, which launched successfully in 2003, and the satellite remains in orbit (and largely operational), Bauer said.

During his tenure as AMSAT president and Board member, Haighton guided the organization through the launch — and subsequent anomalies — with the Phase 3D satellite, later AO-40 — the most expensive and elaborate amateur satellite project in history. He was also instrumental in the subsequent development and launch of AO-51, one of the so-called “easy sats.”

A radio amateur since 1977, he also held the call signs VE3FRH, VE3IUI, GD4INU. He was a member and past president of the Burlington Amateur Radio Club.

Arrangements are pending. — Thanks to AMSAT News Service for some information