The Chief Technologist is the most senior technology position at the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding th ...

(NASA). The Chief Technologist serves as the principal advisor to the

NASA Administrator The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the highest-ranking official of NASA, the national space agency of the United States. The administrator is NASA's chief decision maker, responsible for providing clarity to ...

in technology policy and programs, and as interface to the national and international engineering community. The position helps "communicate how NASA technologies benefit space missions and the day-to-day lives of Americans."

History

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."- The position was created in 2010 by

Charlie Bolden Charles Frank Bolden Jr. (born August 19, 1946) is a former Administrator of NASA, a retired United States Marine Corps Major General, and a former astronaut who flew on four Space Shuttle missions. He graduated from the United States Naval ...

. 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 The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) is NASA's center for human spaceflight (originally named the Manned Spacecraft Center), where human spaceflight training, research, and flight control are conducted. It was renamed in honor of the late U ...

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. In the interim, Lal will serve as acting chief technologist.

List of Chief Technologists

* Bobby Braun of Georgia Tech, February 3, 2010 to September 30, 2011 * (Acting) Joseph Parrish, October 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011 *

Mason Peck Mason Peck is an associate professor at Cornell University and former NASA Chief Technologist.} His immediate predecessor in the NASA position was Bobby Braun. Peck has published in various aerospace sub-disciplines including; air-bearing spac ...

Cornell Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

, January 1, 2012 to 2013 * Dave Miller of MIT, March 2014 to 2016 * (Acting) Dennis J. Andrucyk, 2016 to January 17, 2017 * Douglas Terrier, 2017 to October 31, 2021 **Terrier served as Acting Chief Technologist from 2017 to 2018 *(Acting) Bhavya Lal, November 1, 2021 to present

References

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