Bolden Revamps NASA Advisory Council

By Nancy Atkinson - November 02, 2009 05:00 PM UTC | Space Policy

[/caption] NASA Administrator Charles Bolden has restructured the NASA Advisory Council (NAC), adding several new committees in key areas of importance to the agency's future, including Education and Public Outreach, led by former CNN anchor Miles O'Brien and a Commercial Space, Information Technology Infrastructure committee led by Brett Alexander, the executive director of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. "I consider the NASA Advisory Council to be an extremely important external advisory group, one that is uniquely capable to advise me and the entire NASA senior leadership team on some of the important decisions our agency will face in the coming months and years," Bolden said. "I am confident that this new structure will serve as an effective forum to stimulate meaningful advice to me and the rest of NASA's leadership."

Other new committees include a technology and innovation panel led by Esther Dyson, an information technology investor and space travel enthusiast and an information technology infrastructure committee led by retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Al Edmonds, to deal with cyber security issues. The NAC held their first meeting with the restructured NASA Advisory Council last week at the Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif.

The council's members provide advice and make recommendations to the NASA administrator about agency programs, policies, plans, financial controls and other matters pertinent to NASA's responsibilities. The chairs for the council and its committees are:

NASA Advisory Council: Kenneth M. Ford Aeronautics Committee: Marion Blakey Audit, Finance and Analysis Committee: Robert M. Hanisee Commercial Space Committee: Brett Alexander Education and Public Outreach: Miles O'Brien Exploration Committee: retired Air Force Gen. Lester L. Lyles Science Committee: Wesley T. Huntress, Jr. Space Operations Committee: former astronaut and retired Air Force Col. Eileen M. Collins Technology and Innovation Committee: Esther Dyson

An appointment is pending for the Information Technology and Infrastructure Committee.

Raymond S. Colladay represents the National Academies' Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, and Charles F. Kennel represents the National Academies' Space Studies Board as ex officio members.

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson is a space journalist and author with a passion for telling the stories of people involved in space exploration and astronomy. She is currently retired from daily writing, but worked at Universe Today for 20 years as a writer and editor. She also contributed articles to The Planetary Society, Ad Astra (National Space Society), New Scientist and many other online outlets.

Her 2019 book, "Eight Years to the Moon: The History of the Apollo Missions,” shares the untold stories of engineers and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make the Apollo program so successful, despite the daunting odds against it. Her first book “Incredible Stories From Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos” (2016) tells the stories of 37 scientists and engineers that work on several current NASA robotic missions to explore the solar system and beyond.

Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, and through this program, she has the opportunity to share her passion of space and astronomy with children and adults through presentations and programs. Nancy's personal website is nancyatkinson.com