Former Astronaut John Grunsfeld to Lead NASA Science Directorate

By Nancy Atkinson - December 19, 2011 at 4:31 PM UTC | Space Policy
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As was

rumored earlier,

NASA has named physicist and former astronaut John Grunsfeld as their new associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate.

"It is an honor and a privilege to be offered the opportunity to lead NASA's Science Mission Directorate during this exciting time in the agency's history," Grunsfeld said. "Science at NASA is all about exploring the endless frontier of the Earth and space. I look forward to working with the NASA team to help enable new discoveries in our quest to understand our home planet and unravel the mysteries of the universe."

Grunsfeld is taking over for Ed Weiler, who retired from NASA on Sept. 30, and Grunsfeld will officially start his new job on Jan. 4, 2012.

Grunsfeld currently serves as the deputy director of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, which manages the science program for the Hubble Space Telescope and is a partner in the forthcoming James Webb Space Telescope. His background includes research in high energy astrophysics, cosmic ray physics and in the emerging field of exoplanet studies with specific interest in future astronomical instrumentation.

As a scientist, as well as a veteran of five space shuttle flights, Grunsfeld brings a unique viewpoint to the science directorate, and supporters are hoping for an increased association of science and human missions. "John's understanding of the critical connection between scientific research and the human exploration of space makes him an ideal choice for this job," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "I look forward to working with him to take the agency's science programs to even greater heights and make more of the ground-breaking discoveries about Earth and our universe for which NASA is known."

Three of Grunsfeld's flights were Hubble telescope repair missions, and he performed a total of eight spacewalks to service and upgrade the observatory. Additionally, in 2004 and 2005, Grunsfeld served as the commander and science officer on the backup crew for Expedition 13 to the International Space Station.

Read more about Grunsfeld here.

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