Burton I. Edelson (July 31, 1926 – January 6, 2002) was, for 20 years, a United States Navy Officer involved in advanced research and space science, a leader in developing satellite communications at COMSAT, and a leader of NASA's Space Science and Applications during the 1980s. His publications are held in libraries worldwide. He was a driving force in supporting the Hubble Space Telescope, the Halley's Comet Intercept, and in international technical collaboration.