Local company entrusted with NASA shuttle and missle data
Aug. 12, 2006
By JOSEPH M. DELEON News-Post Staff
jdeleon @ fredericknewspost . com
FREDERICK — When officials from NASA call Glenn Rosenthal, it's not unusual for him to be bent over cleaning donkey dung. The representatives aren't interested in his animals; they need his technical expertise in telemetry and satellite communications.
Mr. Rosenthal is president and CEO of Ulyssix, a Frederick company that competes in a niche market with fewer than 200 producers worldwide. The company designs computer boards that gather and analyze data from rockets and missiles.
“Think about when the space shuttle launches, sensors all over the place send raw voltage to the ground as ones and zeros,” Mr. Rosenthal said. “My equipment lets you understand it in real words; lets you turn that data into speed, altitude, direction.”
Sensors measure changes in electrical signals to the rocket, which are transmitted to Ulyssix equipment through radio waves.
The computer boards have been used to monitor the launching of space and military projects, such as both the Mars rovers in 2003, Trident and Tomahawk missiles and the space shuttle.
“When I have those people trust their data to my equipment, it's very satisfying,” Mr. Rosenthal said.
Another thing he finds satisfying is the farm he and his wife share in Lovettsvile, Va., with four mules and a donkey. The donkey is a rescue animal, while the mules saw service at area national parks before they found Mr. Rosenthal's greener pastures.
“Our neighbors must think we're these strange people who have these strange animals,” he said. “But looking into their eyes brings me back to reality. Gameboys and flat screen TVs are not reality, this is.”
Corporate synergy
At work, Mr. Rosenthal tries to maintain a realistic outlook. While many tech companies won't work on government projects that pay less than $500 million, “we are very comfortable with a seven-figure market,” he said.
Ulyssix employs five fulltime and three part-time employees, supplemented by several contract engineers.
Mr. Rosenthal started the company in 2000 in the base- ment of the home he had then in Middletown. When it grew to four employees the following year, he moved the operation to the Middletown business district. He moved the company again in 2005 to Frederick so Ulyssix could work with electronics manufacturer ACDI.
The cost to set up a manufacturing facility with automated robots would have been astronomical. By sharing a building with ACDI, Mr. Rosenthal cut costs and formed a strong relationship with the manufacturer of Ulyssix products.
ACDI buys raw materials and converts them into a form ready for assembly. Robots and people build and then inspect the electronics.
“There is a great synergy between the companies that would not be possible in a place like Columbia, because business is more cutthroat out there,” Mr. Rosenthal said. “The attitude in Frederick is more neighborly and we want to see each other grow.”
Bill Hornbaker, president of ACDI, agrees business relationships in Frederick are more cooperative than in areas closer to Washington.
“It allows Glenn to be almost completely vertical in his business with our companies in one building,” he said. “Most other people don't have that luxury and have to go offshore or to California to get a similar service.”
Dealing with pressure
At Ulyssix, Mr. Rosenthal finds himself frequently switching roles. Sometimes he's a design engineer; other times he does marketing or troubleshoots equipment tests.
His wife Dawn helps relieve some of the corporate pressure. She handles payroll and accounts payable while keeping her husband grounded.
She does that by making sure the technical challenges that attract him to a project do not compromise the company vision. For example, he remembered one potential project got him so excited that while he brainstormed the solution, he overlooked a schedule conflict.
“When you play with all that technology all day long, sometimes you lose your common sense,” Mr. Rosenthal said. “Sometimes I get caught up in all the logic and operation of the boards that I lose sight of our long-term goals.”
Another thing that helps keep Mr. Rosenthal's feet on the ground while his imagination soars are the mules and donkey he and his wife keep on their 20-acre farm in Lovettsville.
The Rosenthals were first introduced to draft animals while participating in Civil War reenactments in Gettysburg, Pa. About three years ago, they adopted Beau and Mabelline, two mules that used to live at the Frye Farm at the Gettysburg National Military Park.
Two other mules and a donkey from the C&O Canal historic park also live with the Rosenthals; Rhodie and Katie demonstrated how mules pulled canal boats.
Little Orphan Annie No More, an abandoned, malnourished donkey, took more than six months to rehabilitate. Scars gouged into her nose reflect years of abuse.
The animals keep the Rosenthals busy since their children have moved on. Jenni, 21, graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute with a degree in marketing this year. Jake, 19, is enrolled in the animal sciences program there and plans to attend veterinary school after graduation.
The fascination with animals runs in the family.
“I'm very proud of my animals,” Mr. Rosenthal said. “Now that the kids are away at school, these are our new family.”