Alan Stern, NASA associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, ha deciso di lasciare la NASA.
Paolo Amoroso
Ho sentito Alan Stern poche settimane fa nel bel podcast della Planetary Society.
Mi sembrava entusiasta e se non sbaglio non era stato nominato da molto.
Il caustico Keith Kowing di nasawatch.com ha lasciato al proposito un commento severo, additando Griffin come incapace di gestire le risorse umane della NASA.
Sarei curioso di sapere se a monte c’è stato qualche dissapore (Stern è anche principal investigator della missione Pluto/New Horizons) o se semplicemente ha avuto offerte migliori.
Ecco il comunicato ufficiale
March 26, 2008Bob Jacobs/Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600/1726
bob.jacobs@nasa.gov, dwayne.c.brown@nasa.govEdward Campion
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-0697
edward.s.campion.1@gsfc.nasa.govRELEASE: 08-088
NASA ADMINISTRATOR ANNOUNCES SCIENCE MISSION DIRECTORATE LEADERSHIP CHANGES
WASHINGTON – NASA Administrator Michael D. Griffin issued the
following statement Wednesday regarding the announcement that Dr. S.
Alan Stern, NASA associate administrator for the Science Mission
Directorate, has decided to leave the agency.“Alan has rendered invaluable service to NASA as the Principal
Investigator for the Pluto/New Horizons mission, as a member of the
NASA Advisory Council, and as the associate administrator of the
Science Mission Directorate. While I deeply regret his decision to
leave NASA, I understand his reasons for doing so, and wish him all
the best in his future endeavors.”Griffin also announced that Dr. Edward J. Weiler, director of NASA’s
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., will serve as interim
associate administrator.Weiler was appointed to Goddard in August 2004. Previously, he had
served as the associate administrator for the agency’s Space Science
Enterprise from 1998 to 2004.Prior to his selection as associate administrator, Weiler served as
the director of the Astronomical Search for Origins Program at NASA
Headquarters in Washington. He also served as the chief scientist for
the Hubble Space Telescope from 1979 until 1998. Weiler joined
Headquarters in 1978 as a staff scientist and was promoted to the
chief of the Ultraviolet/Visible and Gravitational Astrophysics
Division in 1979.“Though we regret Alan’s departure, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Ed
Weiler back to NASA HQ once again to assume the mantle of SMD
leadership. With his experienced guidance, science at NASA will
continue to thrive,” said Griffin.A native of Chicago, Weiler earned his doctorate in Astrophysics from
Northwestern University in 1976.For more information about NASA and its science programs, visit:
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