As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 22, 1994

                                        Registration No. 33-     

                    SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                          WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

                                 FORM S-8

                          REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                   UNDER
                        THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                            COMSAT Corporation
            (Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter)

     District of Columbia                      52-0781863    
(State or other jurisdiction of             (I.R.S. Employer
 incorporation or organization)              identification no.)

                          6560 Rock Spring Drive
                         Bethesda, Maryland  20817
       (Address of Principal Executive Offices, including Zip Code)

            COMSAT CORPORATION 1993 EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION PLAN
                         (Full Title of the Plan)

                             Warren Y. Zeger 
                    Vice President and General Counsel 
                            COMSAT Corporation
                          6560 Rock Spring Drive
                            Bethesda, MD  20817
                              (301) 214-3000
         (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Agent for Service)

                      CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title of     Amount      Proposed       Proposed      Amount of
Securities   to be       Maximum        Maximum       Registration
to be        Registered  Offering Price Aggregate     Fee
Registered               per Share      Offering Price               
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 750,000
(without par shares(1)   $24.25(2)      $18,187,500(2)      $6,271.55
 value)                                                              
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1)  This Registration Statement also covers such additional
     shares of Common Stock as may be issuable pursuant to
     adjustments deemed necessary or equitable by the Committee
     on Compensation and Development of the Board of Directors of
     the registrant upon changes in capitalization, as provided
     in Section 8 of the COMSAT Corporation 1993 Employee Stock
     Option Plan.
(2)  Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(h) solely for the purpose of
     calculating the registration fee on the basis of the average
     of the high and low prices of the registrant's Common Stock
     on the New York Stock Exchange on July 15, 1994.

                            Page 1 of 14 pages
<PAGE>
                                 PART II
              INFORMATION REQUIRED IN REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference  

     The following documents which have been filed previously
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") by
COMSAT Corporation (the "Company") (Commission File No. 1-4929)
pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"),
are incorporated herein by reference:

     (a)  The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
          ended December 31, 1993 (including Amendment No. 1 thereto
          filed with the SEC on April 29, 1994).

     (b)  The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
          fiscal quarter ended March 31, 1994.

     (c)  The Company's Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with
          the Commission on February 1, 1994, March 7, 1994,
          March 11, 1994, April 26, 1994, June 8, 1994, June 30,
          1994 (as amended on Form 8-K/A), July 18, 1994 (as
          amended on Form 8-K/A) and July 19, 1994.

     (d)  The description of the Common Stock appearing on pages
          41 through 46 of the Company's Registration Statement
          No. 33-53437.

     All documents filed with the Commission subsequent to the
date of this Registration Statement pursuant to Sections 13(a),
14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-
effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered
have been sold or which deregisters all securities remaining
unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this
Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of
filing of such documents with the Commission.


Item 4.  Description of Securities

     The Company's Common Stock is registered under Section 12(b) 
of the Exchange Act.


Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel

     An opinion as to the validity of the securities being issued
has been rendered for the Company by Warren Y. Zeger, Vice
President and General Counsel of the Company.  As of July 1,
1994, Mr. Zeger was the record owner of 12,264 shares of the
Company's Common Stock ("Common Stock") and had options to
purchase 134,819 shares of Common Stock, of which options to
purchase 26,819 shares were exercisable.

                            Page 2 of 14 pages
<PAGE>

Item 6.  Indemnification of Officers and Directors

     Reference is made to the provisions of Article III of the
registrant's Articles of Incorporation filed as Exhibit 4(a)
hereto and the provisions of Article VIII of the registrant's By-
laws filed as Exhibit 4(b) hereto.

     Section 29-304 of the District of Columbia Business
Corporations Act provides a District of Columbia corporation
shall have the power to indemnify any and all of its directors or
officers or former directors or officers or any person who may
have served at its request as a director or officer of another
corporation in which it owns shares of capital stock or of which
it is a creditor against expenses actually and necessarily
incurred by them in connection with the defense of any action,
suit or proceeding in which they, or any of them, are made
parties, or a party, by reason of being or having been directors
or officers or a director or officer of the corporation, or of
such other corporation, except in relation to matters as to which
any such director or officer or former director or officer or
person shall be adjudged in such action, suit or proceeding to be
liable for negligence or misconduct in the performance of duty. 
Such indemnification shall not be deemed exclusive of any other
rights to which those indemnified may be entitled, under any
bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders, or otherwise.

     There are in effect directors' and officers' liability
insurance policies which insure the registrant's directors and
officers against certain liabilities that they may incur in such
capacities.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed

     Not Applicable.


Item 8.  Exhibits
     
     The exhibits listed below are listed according to the number
assigned in the table in Item 601 of Regulation S-K.
                         
     Exhibit No.         Description of Exhibit
          
        4(a)        Articles of Incorporation of COMSAT
                    Corporation (as amended through June 1, 1993)
                    (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4(a) to
                    Registrant's Registration Statement on Form
                    S-3, Commission File No. 33-51661).

        4(b)        By-laws of COMSAT Corporation (as amended
                    through March 15, 1991) (Incorporated by
                    reference to Exhibit 3(b) to Registrant's
                    Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
                    year ended December 31, 1991).

                            Page 3 of 14 pages
<PAGE>

        5(a)        Opinion of Warren Y. Zeger, Vice President
                    and General Counsel of the registrant, as to
                    the legality of the shares of Common Stock
                    being registered. 

        5(b)        Not applicable.

        23(a)       Consent of Deloitte & Touche.

        23(b)       Consent of Warren Y. Zeger (contained in
                    Exhibit 5(a)).

        24          Powers of Attorney.


Item 9.  Undertakings (numbered as in Item 512 of Regulation S-K)

     (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

     (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are
being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration
statement:


       (i)  To include any prospectus required by section
            10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

      (ii)  To reflect in the prospectus any facts or event
            arising after the effective date of the registration
            statement (or the most recent post-effective
            amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
            aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the
            information set forth in the registration statement;

     (iii)  To include any material information with respect to
            the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in
            the registration statement or any material change to
            such information in the registration statement;

provided, however, that the undertakings set forth in paragraphs
(1)(i) and (1)(ii) above do not apply if the information required
to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs
is contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant
to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
that are incorporated by reference in this registration
statement.

     (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability
under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective
amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of
such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
bona fide offering thereof.

     (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-
      
                            Page 4 of 14 pages
<PAGE>

effective amendment any of the securities being registered which
remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

     (b)  The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for
purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of
1933, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to
section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 that is incorporated by reference in the registration
statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of
such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
bona fide offering thereof.

     (c)  Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising
under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors,
officers, and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to
the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been
advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as
expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the
event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities
(other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or
paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the
registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling
person in connection with the securities being registered, the
registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in
the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.
                                
                            Page 5 of 14 pages
<PAGE>
                                SIGNATURES


     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable
grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for
filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized, in the County of Montgomery, State of
Maryland, on July 22, 1994.


                                   COMSAT Corporation
                                      (Registrant) 



Date: July 22, 1994      By  /s/ Warren Y. Zeger                  
                           ----------------------------------
                           Warren Y. Zeger
                           Vice President and General Counsel


     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
this Registration Statement has been signed by the following
persons by power of attorney in the capacities and on the date
indicated.


                         (1)  Principal executive officer


Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Bruce L. Crockett*        
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Bruce L. Crockett, President
                               and Chief Executive Officer)


                         (2)  Principal financial officer


Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ C. Thomas Faulders, III*  
                              ----------------------------------
                              (C. Thomas Faulders, III, Vice              
                               President and Chief Financial               
                               Officer)


                         (3)  Principal accounting officer


Date:  July 22, 1994             /s/ Allen E. Flower*           
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Allen E. Flower, Controller)

                            Page 6 of 14 pages
<PAGE>

                         (4)  Board of Directors


Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Lucy Wilson Benson*       
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Lucy Wilson Benson, Director)



Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Rudy Boschwitz*                        
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Rudy Boschwitz, Director)



Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Edwin I. Colodny*         
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Edwin I. Colodny, Director)



Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Bruce L. Crockett*        
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Bruce L. Crockett, Director)



Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Frederick B. Dent*                    
                              ----------------------------------
                             (Frederick B. Dent, Director)



Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ James B. Edwards*         
                              ----------------------------------
                              (James B. Edwards, Director)



Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Neal B. Freeman*          
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Neal B. Freeman, Director)



Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Barry M. Goldwater*                   
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Barry M. Goldwater, Director)



Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Arthur Hauspurg*          
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Arthur Hauspurg, Director)



Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Melvin R. Laird*          
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Melvin R. Laird, Chairman of the              
                               Board and Director)

                            Page 7 of 14 pages
<PAGE>


Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Peter W. Likins*          
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Peter W. Likins, Director)



Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Howard M. Love*           
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Howard M. Love, Director)



Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Robert G. Schwartz*       
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Robert G. Schwartz, Director)



Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ C. J. Silas*                           
                              ----------------------------------
                              (C. J. Silas, Director)



Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Dolores D. Wharton*        
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Dolores D. Wharton, Director)


*  By: /s/ Warren Y. Zeger             
      ---------------------------------
      Warren Y. Zeger, Attorney-in-fact

                            Page 8 of 14 pages
<PAGE>

                               EXHIBIT INDEX

                                                                 
                                                      Sequential
Exhibit No.              Description                  Page Number
- -----------              -----------                  -----------
   4(a)           Articles of Incorporation of
                  COMSAT Corporation (as amended
                  through June 1, 1993)
                  (Incorporated by reference to
                  Exhibit 4(a) to Registrant's
                  Registration Statement on Form
                  S-3, Commission File No.
                  33-51661).
   
   4(b)           By-laws of COMSAT Corporation
                  (as amended through March 15,
                  1991) (Incorporated by
                  reference to Exhibit 3(b) to
                  Registrant's Annual Report on
                  Form 10-K for the fiscal year
                  ended December 31, 1991).

   5(a)           Opinion of Warren Y. Zeger,         10
                  Vice President and General
                  Counsel of the registrant
                  counsel as to the legality of
                  the shares of Common Stock to
                  which this Registration
                  Statement relates.

   5(b)           Not applicable.
   
   23(a)          Consent of Deloitte & Touche.       11
   
   23(b)          Consent of Warren Y. Zeger
                  (contained in Exhibit 5(a)).
   
   24             Powers of Attorney.                 12 
                                                             
                            Page 9 of 14 pages
<PAGE>
                                                              Exhibit 5(a)

                                             July 22, 1994


COMSAT Corporation
6560 Rock Spring Drive
Bethesda, Maryland  20817

     Re:  Registration Statement on Form S-8 Relating to 750,000
          Shares of COMSAT Corporation Common Stock to be issued
          under the COMSAT Corporation 1993 Employee Stock Option
          Plan (the "Registration Statement").                   
          -------------------------------------------------------

Ladies and Gentlemen:

          In connection with the proposed issuance and sale by
COMSAT Corporation, a District of Columbia corporation (the
"Company"), of up to 750,000 shares of Common Stock, without par
value (the "Shares") of the Company to be issued pursuant to an
the COMSAT Corporation 1993 Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"), I am
of the opinion that:

          1.   The Company is a duly incorporated and validly
               existing corporation in good standing under the
               laws of the District of Columbia.

          2.   Proper corporate proceedings have been taken so
               that the Shares have been duly authorized and when
               certificates for any Shares have been duly
               executed, registered and delivered, and paid for,
               in accordance with the terms of the Plan, such
               Shares will have been legally issued and will be
               fully paid and nonassessable.

          I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the
Securities and Exchange Commission as Exhibit 5(a) to the
Registration Statement.


                              Very truly yours,

                              /s/Warren Y. Zeger
                              ----------------------------------
                              Warren Y. Zeger
                              Vice President and General Counsel

                            Page 10 of 14 pages                                 
<PAGE>
                                                            
                                                             Exhibit 23(a)





                       INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' CONSENT


We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration
Statement of COMSAT Corporation on Form S-8 of our reports dated
February 16, 1994, relating to the consolidated financial
statements of COMSAT Corporation, appearing in the Annual Report
on Form 10-K, as amended on Form 10-K/A for the year ended
December 31, 1993, and our report dated June 24, 1994 relating to
the supplemental consolidated financial statements of COMSAT
Corporation, appearing in the Form 8-K current report of COMSAT
Corporation dated June 29, 1994, as amended on Form 8-K/A, which
aforementioned reports include explanatory paragraphs referring
to the changes in the Corporation's method of accounting for
postretirement health and life insurance benefits and in its
method of accounting for income taxes, and our report dated
August 20, 1993, relating to the consolidated financial
statements of Radiation Systems, Inc., appearing in the Annual
Report on Form 10-K of Radiation Systems, Inc., as amended by
Amendment No. 3 on Form 10-K/A for the year ended June 30, 1993.


Deloitte & Touche



Washington, D.C.
July 22, 1994

                            Page 11 of 14 pages
<PAGE>
                                                       Exhibit 24



                            COMSAT CORPORATION

                            POWERS OF ATTORNEY


     Each of the undersigned hereby appoints Bruce L. Crockett,
President and Chief Executive Officer, C. Thomas Faulders, III,
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Warren Y. Zeger, Vice
President and General Counsel, and Robert N. Davis, Jr.,
Assistant General Counsel, and each of them severally, his or her
true and lawful attorneys to execute (in the name of and on
behalf of and as attorneys for the undersigned) a Registration
Statement on Form S-8 relating to the registration of 750,000
shares of the Corporation's Common Stock for issuance pursuant to
the Corporation's 1993 Employee Stock Option Plan, and any and
all amendments to such Registration Statement, and to file the
same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection
therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
                         
                              (1)  Principal executive officer



Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Bruce L. Crockett        
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Bruce L. Crockett, President 
                                    and Chief Executive Officer)



                              (2)  Principal financial officer



Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ C. Thomas Faulders, III  
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (C. Thomas Faulders, III
                                    Vice President and Chief
                                    Financial Officer)

     
     
                              (3)  Principal accounting officer



Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Allen E. Flower          
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Allen E. Flower, Controller)

                            Page 12 of 14 pages
<PAGE>
                              
                              (4)  Board of Directors



Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Lucy Wilson Benson       
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Lucy Wilson Benson, Director)



Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Rudy Boschwitz           
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Rudy Boschwitz, Director)



Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Edwin I. Colodny         
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Edwin I. Colodny, Director)



Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Bruce L. Crockett        
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Bruce L. Crockett, Director)



Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Frederick B. Dent        
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Frederick B. Dent, Director)



Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ James B. Edwards         
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (James B. Edwards, Director)



Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Neal B. Freeman          
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Neal B. Freeman, Director)



Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Barry M. Goldwater       
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Barry M. Goldwater, Director)



Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Arthur Hauspurg          
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Arthur Hauspurg, Director)

                            Page 13 of 14 pages
<PAGE>

Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Melvin R. Laird          
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Melvin R. Laird, Chairman of
                                    the Board and Director)
                                   


Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Peter W. Likins          
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Peter W. Likins, Director)



Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Howard M. Love           
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Howard M. Love, Director)



Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Robert G. Schwartz       
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Robert G. Schwartz, Director)



Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ C. J. Silas              
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (C. J. Silas, Director)



Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Dolores D. Wharton       
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Dolores D. Wharton, Director)

                            Page 14 of 14 pages
<PAGE>
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "'93 EMPLOYEE STOCK OPT PLAN", "secsgml_size_bytes": 27561}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "COMSAT CORP", "cik": "0000022698", "assigned-sic": "4899", "irs-number": "520781863", "state-of-incorporation": "DC", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "033-54685", "film-number": "94539735"}, "business-address": {"street1": "6560 ROCK SPRING DR", "city": "BETHESDA", "state": "MD", "zip": "20817", "phone": "301-214-30"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "6560 ROCK SPRING DRIVE", "city": "BETHESDA", "state": "MD", "zip": "20817"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE CORP /DE/", "date-changed": "19930719"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 22, 1994

                                        Registration No. 33-     

                    SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                          WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

                                 FORM S-8

                          REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                   UNDER
                        THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                            COMSAT Corporation
            (Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter)

     District of Columbia                      52-0781863    
(State or other jurisdiction of             (I.R.S. Employer
 incorporation or organization)              identification no.)

                          6560 Rock Spring Drive
                         Bethesda, Maryland  20817
       (Address of Principal Executive Offices, including Zip Code)

            COMSAT CORPORATION 1993 EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION PLAN
                         (Full Title of the Plan)

                             Warren Y. Zeger 
                    Vice President and General Counsel 
                            COMSAT Corporation
                          6560 Rock Spring Drive
                            Bethesda, MD  20817
                              (301) 214-3000
         (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Agent for Service)

                      CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title of     Amount      Proposed       Proposed      Amount of
Securities   to be       Maximum        Maximum       Registration
to be        Registered  Offering Price Aggregate     Fee
Registered               per Share      Offering Price               
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 750,000
(without par shares(1)   $24.25(2)      $18,187,500(2)      $6,271.55
 value)                                                              
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1)  This Registration Statement also covers such additional
     shares of Common Stock as may be issuable pursuant to
     adjustments deemed necessary or equitable by the Committee
     on Compensation and Development of the Board of Directors of
     the registrant upon changes in capitalization, as provided
     in Section 8 of the COMSAT Corporation 1993 Employee Stock
     Option Plan.
(2)  Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(h) solely for the purpose of
     calculating the registration fee on the basis of the average
     of the high and low prices of the registrant's Common Stock
     on the New York Stock Exchange on July 15, 1994.

                            Page 1 of 14 pages
PART II
              INFORMATION REQUIRED IN REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference  

     The following documents which have been filed previously
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") by
COMSAT Corporation (the "Company") (Commission File No. 1-4929)
pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"),
are incorporated herein by reference:

     (a)  The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
          ended December 31, 1993 (including Amendment No. 1 thereto
          filed with the SEC on April 29, 1994).

     (b)  The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
          fiscal quarter ended March 31, 1994.

     (c)  The Company's Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with
          the Commission on February 1, 1994, March 7, 1994,
          March 11, 1994, April 26, 1994, June 8, 1994, June 30,
          1994 (as amended on Form 8-K/A), July 18, 1994 (as
          amended on Form 8-K/A) and July 19, 1994.

     (d)  The description of the Common Stock appearing on pages
          41 through 46 of the Company's Registration Statement
          No. 33-53437.

     All documents filed with the Commission subsequent to the
date of this Registration Statement pursuant to Sections 13(a),
14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-
effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered
have been sold or which deregisters all securities remaining
unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this
Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of
filing of such documents with the Commission.

Item 4.  Description of Securities

     The Company's Common Stock is registered under Section 12(b) 
of the Exchange Act.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel

     An opinion as to the validity of the securities being issued
has been rendered for the Company by Warren Y. Zeger, Vice
President and General Counsel of the Company.  As of July 1,
1994, Mr. Zeger was the record owner of 12,264 shares of the
Company's Common Stock ("Common Stock") and had options to
purchase 134,819 shares of Common Stock, of which options to
purchase 26,819 shares were exercisable.

                            Page 2 of 14 pages
Item 6.  Indemnification of Officers and Directors

     Reference is made to the provisions of Article III of the
registrant's Articles of Incorporation filed as Exhibit 4(a)
hereto and the provisions of Article VIII of the registrant's By-
laws filed as Exhibit 4(b) hereto.

     Section 29-304 of the District of Columbia Business
Corporations Act provides a District of Columbia corporation
shall have the power to indemnify any and all of its directors or
officers or former directors or officers or any person who may
have served at its request as a director or officer of another
corporation in which it owns shares of capital stock or of which
it is a creditor against expenses actually and necessarily
incurred by them in connection with the defense of any action,
suit or proceeding in which they, or any of them, are made
parties, or a party, by reason of being or having been directors
or officers or a director or officer of the corporation, or of
such other corporation, except in relation to matters as to which
any such director or officer or former director or officer or
person shall be adjudged in such action, suit or proceeding to be
liable for negligence or misconduct in the performance of duty. 
Such indemnification shall not be deemed exclusive of any other
rights to which those indemnified may be entitled, under any
bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders, or otherwise.

     There are in effect directors' and officers' liability
insurance policies which insure the registrant's directors and
officers against certain liabilities that they may incur in such
capacities.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed

     Not Applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits
     
     The exhibits listed below are listed according to the number
assigned in the table in Item 601 of Regulation S-K.
                         
     Exhibit No.         Description of Exhibit
          
        4(a)        Articles of Incorporation of COMSAT
                    Corporation (as amended through June 1, 1993)
                    (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4(a) to
                    Registrant's Registration Statement on Form
                    S-3, Commission File No. 33-51661).

        4(b)        By-laws of COMSAT Corporation (as amended
                    through March 15, 1991) (Incorporated by
                    reference to Exhibit 3(b) to Registrant's
                    Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
                    year ended December 31, 1991).

                            Page 3 of 14 pages
5(a)        Opinion of Warren Y. Zeger, Vice President
                    and General Counsel of the registrant, as to
                    the legality of the shares of Common Stock
                    being registered. 

        5(b)        Not applicable.

        23(a)       Consent of Deloitte & Touche.

        23(b)       Consent of Warren Y. Zeger (contained in
                    Exhibit 5(a)).

        24          Powers of Attorney.

Item 9.  Undertakings (numbered as in Item 512 of Regulation S-K)

     (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

     (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are
being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration
statement:

       (i)  To include any prospectus required by section
            10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

      (ii)  To reflect in the prospectus any facts or event
            arising after the effective date of the registration
            statement (or the most recent post-effective
            amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
            aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the
            information set forth in the registration statement;

     (iii)  To include any material information with respect to
            the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in
            the registration statement or any material change to
            such information in the registration statement;

provided, however, that the undertakings set forth in paragraphs
(1)(i) and (1)(ii) above do not apply if the information required
to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs
is contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant
to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
that are incorporated by reference in this registration
statement.

     (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability
under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective
amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of
such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
bona fide offering thereof.

     (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-
      
                            Page 4 of 14 pages
effective amendment any of the securities being registered which
remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

     (b)  The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for
purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of
1933, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to
section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 that is incorporated by reference in the registration
statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of
such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
bona fide offering thereof.

     (c)  Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising
under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors,
officers, and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to
the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been
advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as
expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the
event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities
(other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or
paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the
registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling
person in connection with the securities being registered, the
registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in
the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.
                                
                            Page 5 of 14 pages
SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable
grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for
filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized, in the County of Montgomery, State of
Maryland, on July 22, 1994.

                                   COMSAT Corporation
                                      (Registrant) 

Date: July 22, 1994      By  /s/ Warren Y. Zeger                  
                           ----------------------------------
                           Warren Y. Zeger
                           Vice President and General Counsel

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
this Registration Statement has been signed by the following
persons by power of attorney in the capacities and on the date
indicated.

                         (1)  Principal executive officer

Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Bruce L. Crockett*        
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Bruce L. Crockett, President
                               and Chief Executive Officer)

                         (2)  Principal financial officer

Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ C. Thomas Faulders, III*  
                              ----------------------------------
                              (C. Thomas Faulders, III, Vice              
                               President and Chief Financial               
                               Officer)

                         (3)  Principal accounting officer

Date:  July 22, 1994             /s/ Allen E. Flower*           
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Allen E. Flower, Controller)

                            Page 6 of 14 pages
(4)  Board of Directors

Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Lucy Wilson Benson*       
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Lucy Wilson Benson, Director)

Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Rudy Boschwitz*                        
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Rudy Boschwitz, Director)

Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Edwin I. Colodny*         
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Edwin I. Colodny, Director)

Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Bruce L. Crockett*        
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Bruce L. Crockett, Director)

Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Frederick B. Dent*                    
                              ----------------------------------
                             (Frederick B. Dent, Director)

Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ James B. Edwards*         
                              ----------------------------------
                              (James B. Edwards, Director)

Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Neal B. Freeman*          
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Neal B. Freeman, Director)

Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Barry M. Goldwater*                   
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Barry M. Goldwater, Director)

Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Arthur Hauspurg*          
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Arthur Hauspurg, Director)

Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Melvin R. Laird*          
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Melvin R. Laird, Chairman of the              
                               Board and Director)

                            Page 7 of 14 pages
Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Peter W. Likins*          
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Peter W. Likins, Director)

Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Howard M. Love*           
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Howard M. Love, Director)

Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Robert G. Schwartz*       
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Robert G. Schwartz, Director)

Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ C. J. Silas*                           
                              ----------------------------------
                              (C. J. Silas, Director)

Date:  July 22, 1994              /s/ Dolores D. Wharton*        
                              ----------------------------------
                              (Dolores D. Wharton, Director)

*  By: /s/ Warren Y. Zeger             
      ---------------------------------
      Warren Y. Zeger, Attorney-in-fact

                            Page 8 of 14 pages
EXHIBIT INDEX

                                                                 
                                                      Sequential
Exhibit No.              Description                  Page Number
- -----------              -----------                  -----------
   4(a)           Articles of Incorporation of
                  COMSAT Corporation (as amended
                  through June 1, 1993)
                  (Incorporated by reference to
                  Exhibit 4(a) to Registrant's
                  Registration Statement on Form
                  S-3, Commission File No.
                  33-51661).
   
   4(b)           By-laws of COMSAT Corporation
                  (as amended through March 15,
                  1991) (Incorporated by
                  reference to Exhibit 3(b) to
                  Registrant's Annual Report on
                  Form 10-K for the fiscal year
                  ended December 31, 1991).

   5(a)           Opinion of Warren Y. Zeger,         10
                  Vice President and General
                  Counsel of the registrant
                  counsel as to the legality of
                  the shares of Common Stock to
                  which this Registration
                  Statement relates.

   5(b)           Not applicable.
   
   23(a)          Consent of Deloitte & Touche.       11
   
   23(b)          Consent of Warren Y. Zeger
                  (contained in Exhibit 5(a)).
   
   24             Powers of Attorney.                 12 
                                                             
                            Page 9 of 14 pages
Exhibit 5(a)

                                             July 22, 1994

COMSAT Corporation
6560 Rock Spring Drive
Bethesda, Maryland  20817

     Re:  Registration Statement on Form S-8 Relating to 750,000
          Shares of COMSAT Corporation Common Stock to be issued
          under the COMSAT Corporation 1993 Employee Stock Option
          Plan (the "Registration Statement").                   
          -------------------------------------------------------

Ladies and Gentlemen:

          In connection with the proposed issuance and sale by
COMSAT Corporation, a District of Columbia corporation (the
"Company"), of up to 750,000 shares of Common Stock, without par
value (the "Shares") of the Company to be issued pursuant to an
the COMSAT Corporation 1993 Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"), I am
of the opinion that:

          1.   The Company is a duly incorporated and validly
               existing corporation in good standing under the
               laws of the District of Columbia.

          2.   Proper corporate proceedings have been taken so
               that the Shares have been duly authorized and when
               certificates for any Shares have been duly
               executed, registered and delivered, and paid for,
               in accordance with the terms of the Plan, such
               Shares will have been legally issued and will be
               fully paid and nonassessable.

          I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the
Securities and Exchange Commission as Exhibit 5(a) to the
Registration Statement.

                              Very truly yours,

                              /s/Warren Y. Zeger
                              ----------------------------------
                              Warren Y. Zeger
                              Vice President and General Counsel

                            Page 10 of 14 pages
Exhibit 23(a)

                       INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' CONSENT

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration
Statement of COMSAT Corporation on Form S-8 of our reports dated
February 16, 1994, relating to the consolidated financial
statements of COMSAT Corporation, appearing in the Annual Report
on Form 10-K, as amended on Form 10-K/A for the year ended
December 31, 1993, and our report dated June 24, 1994 relating to
the supplemental consolidated financial statements of COMSAT
Corporation, appearing in the Form 8-K current report of COMSAT
Corporation dated June 29, 1994, as amended on Form 8-K/A, which
aforementioned reports include explanatory paragraphs referring
to the changes in the Corporation's method of accounting for
postretirement health and life insurance benefits and in its
method of accounting for income taxes, and our report dated
August 20, 1993, relating to the consolidated financial
statements of Radiation Systems, Inc., appearing in the Annual
Report on Form 10-K of Radiation Systems, Inc., as amended by
Amendment No. 3 on Form 10-K/A for the year ended June 30, 1993.

Deloitte & Touche

Washington, D.C.
July 22, 1994

                            Page 11 of 14 pages
Exhibit 24

                            COMSAT CORPORATION

                            POWERS OF ATTORNEY

     Each of the undersigned hereby appoints Bruce L. Crockett,
President and Chief Executive Officer, C. Thomas Faulders, III,
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Warren Y. Zeger, Vice
President and General Counsel, and Robert N. Davis, Jr.,
Assistant General Counsel, and each of them severally, his or her
true and lawful attorneys to execute (in the name of and on
behalf of and as attorneys for the undersigned) a Registration
Statement on Form S-8 relating to the registration of 750,000
shares of the Corporation's Common Stock for issuance pursuant to
the Corporation's 1993 Employee Stock Option Plan, and any and
all amendments to such Registration Statement, and to file the
same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection
therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
                         
                              (1)  Principal executive officer

Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Bruce L. Crockett        
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Bruce L. Crockett, President 
                                    and Chief Executive Officer)

                              (2)  Principal financial officer

Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ C. Thomas Faulders, III  
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (C. Thomas Faulders, III
                                    Vice President and Chief
                                    Financial Officer)

     
     
                              (3)  Principal accounting officer

Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Allen E. Flower          
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Allen E. Flower, Controller)

                            Page 12 of 14 pages
(4)  Board of Directors

Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Lucy Wilson Benson       
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Lucy Wilson Benson, Director)

Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Rudy Boschwitz           
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Rudy Boschwitz, Director)

Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Edwin I. Colodny         
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Edwin I. Colodny, Director)

Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Bruce L. Crockett        
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Bruce L. Crockett, Director)

Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Frederick B. Dent        
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Frederick B. Dent, Director)

Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ James B. Edwards         
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (James B. Edwards, Director)

Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Neal B. Freeman          
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Neal B. Freeman, Director)

Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Barry M. Goldwater       
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Barry M. Goldwater, Director)

Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Arthur Hauspurg          
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Arthur Hauspurg, Director)

                            Page 13 of 14 pages
Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Melvin R. Laird          
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Melvin R. Laird, Chairman of
                                    the Board and Director)
                                   

Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Peter W. Likins          
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Peter W. Likins, Director)

Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Howard M. Love           
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Howard M. Love, Director)

Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Robert G. Schwartz       
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Robert G. Schwartz, Director)

Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ C. J. Silas              
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (C. J. Silas, Director)

Date:  June 17, 1994                 /s/ Dolores D. Wharton       
                                   -----------------------------
                                   (Dolores D. Wharton, Director)

                            Page 14 of 14 pages