NASA Chief Technologist
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]
History
[edit]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]
List of Chief Technologists
[edit]- Bobby Braun of Georgia Tech, February 3, 2010 to September 30, 2011[6][7][3]
- (Acting) Joseph Parrish, October 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011 [3][8][9]
- Mason Peck of Cornell, January 1, 2012 to 2013[2][10][11]
- Dave Miller of MIT, March 2014 to 2016[12][13][14][15][16]
- (Acting) Dennis J. Andrucyk, 2016 to January 17, 2017[17][18][19]
- Douglas Terrier, 2017 to October 31, 2021[20][21][4]
- Bhavya Lal, was the acting Chief Technologist from November 1, 2021 to January 3, 2023[24]
- A.C. Charania, is the Agency Chief Technologist from January 3, 2023 to present[25]
References
[edit]- ^ "Office of the Chief Technologist About Us". NASA. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ a b c "Mason Peck, Chief Technologist". NASA. 31 October 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ a b c "NASA Chief Technologist Braun Returning to Georgia Tech". News Releases. NASA. 6 September 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ a b Margetta, Robert (2021-11-01). "New Roles, Combined Offices for NASA Administrator Leadership Team". NASA. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
- ^ "NASA Names New Agency-Wide Chief Technologist". NASA. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ "Robert D. Braun, NASA Chief Technologist". Office of the Chief Technologist. NASA. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "Robert D. Braun, Director for Planetary Science". NASA JPL. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "NASA Chief Technologist Bobby Braun Statement About NRC Interim Report On NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps". NASA. 30 August 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "Joseph Parrish, NASA Chief Technologist (Acting)". NASA. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "NASA Administrator Names Peck Agency's Chief Technologist". NASA. 8 November 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "Mason Peck Biography". Cornell University. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "NASA Names David W. Miller as Agency's New Chief Technologist". NASA. 13 March 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "Chief Technologist". mit.edu. 13 March 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "David Miller Maniac Lecture". NASA Earth Sciences. NASA. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "The People of AeroAstro: Professor David Miller". AeroAstro. MIT. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "Technology, Innovation, & Engineering Committee of the NASA Advisory Council" (PDF). OTC. NASA. 29 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "Office of the Chief Technologist Update" (PDF). NASA. 18 November 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "New Science Deputy Associate Administrator". NASA. 21 December 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "Dennis J. Andrucyk Maniac Lecture". NASA. 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "Douglas Terrier, Chief Technologist". NASA.gov. 13 July 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "Douglas Terrier". LinkedIn. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "NASA Acting Chief Technologist Douglas Terrier Speaks About Technology Challenges". NASA. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "NASA Chief Technologist Douglas Terrier and Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield". NASA. 11 April 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "NASA Names New Agency-Wide Chief Technologist". NASA. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ "NASA Names New Agency-Wide Chief Technologist". NASA. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
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