Bhavya Lal | |
---|---|
NASA (acting) Chief Technologist | |
Appointed | |
Assumed office 2021 | |
Preceded by | Douglas Terrier |
The Chief Technologist is the most senior technology position at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Chief Technologist serves as the principal advisor to the NASA Administrator in technology policy and programs,and as interface to the national and international engineering community. [1] The position helps "communicate how NASA technologies benefit space missions and the day-to-day lives of Americans." [2]
The Chief Technologist position was created to advise the NASA Administrator on budget,strategic objectives,and current content of NASA's technology programs. The Chief Technologist works closely with appropriate representatives of the NASA Strategic Enterprises and the Field Centers,as well as advisory committees and the external community. The Chief Technologist represents the Agency's technology objectives and accomplishments to other federal agencies,industry,academia,other government organizations,the international community,and the general public. "The Chief Technologist leads NASA technology transfer and technology commercialization efforts,facilitating internal creativity and innovation." He also "coordinates,tracks and integrates technology investments across the agency and works to infuse innovative discoveries into future missions." [2] -
The position was created in 2010 by NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden. [3] The first three Chief Technologists were aerospace engineering professors whose universities (specified below) entered into an intergovernmental personnel agreement with NASA. Douglas Terrier,was the NASA Johnson Space Center Chief Technologist before becoming the Agency Chief Technologist.
On November 1,2021 the Office of the Chief Technologist and the Office of Strategic Engagements and Assessments were merged into the new Office of Technology,Policy,and Strategy (OTPS). Bhavya Lal was appointed to serve as OTPS’s new Associate Administrator. The role of the NASA Chief Technologist was changed to one of a staff position in the newly created OTPS. Douglas Terrier was reassigned to NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston to serve in a newly created position as the associate director for vision and strategy. Lal served as acting chief technologist. [4]
On January 3,2023 A.C.Charania started his role as the Agency Chief Technologist. Before joining NASA,Charania served as vice president of product strategy at Reliable Robotics. He previously worked in strategy and business development for the Virgin Galactic (now Virgin Orbit) LauncherOne small satellite launch vehicle program. He also served in multiple management and technology roles at SpaceWorks Enterprises,including helping to incubate two startups,Generation Orbit and Terminal Velocity Aerospace. [5]
Pamela Ann Melroy is an American retired United States Air Force officer and NASA astronaut serving as the deputy administrator of NASA. She served as pilot on Space Shuttle missions STS-92 and STS-112 and commanded mission STS-120 before leaving the agency in August 2009. After serving as deputy program manager of Space Exploration Initiatives with Lockheed Martin,Melroy joined the Federal Aviation Administration in 2011,where she was a senior technical advisor and director of field operations for the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation.
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Robert M. Lightfoot Jr. is a former Acting Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA),serving from January 20,2017 until April 23,2018. Succeeding Charles Bolden,Lightfoot became the space agency's acting Associate Administrator on March 5,2012. That job became permanent on September 25,2012. He had previously served as the eleventh Director of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville,Alabama,from March 2009 until his promotion in March 2012. On March 12,2018 he announced his retirement from NASA effective April 30,2018.
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