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Personnel News

NASA's New Chief Scientist is Jim Green

By Marc Boucher
NASA Watch
April 10, 2018
Filed under
NASA's New Chief Scientist is Jim Green

Jim Green Named NASA Chief Scientist as of May 1st, NASA
Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot has named the Science Mission Directorate’s Planetary Science Division Director Jim Green as the agency’s new chief scientist, effective May 1. He succeeds Gale Allen, who has served in an acting capacity since 2016 and will retire after more than 30 years of government service.

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12 responses to “NASA's New Chief Scientist is Jim Green”

  1. NasaX says:
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    Can’t think of a more qualified person, for those who don’t know Jim comes from the Van Allen academic line. I served my last two years in SMD work as a level 2 liaison to him. Fine man, knowledgeable about all aspects of NASA science

  2. Michael Spencer says:
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    I wonder why an “Acting Administrator” would make this kind of appointment? And why would anyone accept this kind of appointment from an “Acting”?

    Perhaps the Administrator’s office is functioning with the Congressman in a sort of de facto ‘shadow’ role, pending confirmation, and this appointment was actually made by the Congressman?

    Or maybe all of the pro-Bridenstine towels have been thrown in, and we will have Administrator Lightfoot?

    Or something.

    • Johnhouboltsmyspiritanimal says:
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      lightfoot already announced he is retiring end of this month.

      • Michael Spencer says:
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        Thanks. Yes, I saw that later, after posting.

        But does it really change anything? Indeed why would he make the appointment if he is leaving? That’s the sort of criticism that Presidents get, for instance, for lame duck appointments.

        • ThomasLMatula says:
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          Just more proof that the civil servants who actually govern America could care less about the figure head Administrators the elected officials appoint. They know they share the real power of governance with the Congressional staffers. Which makes me wonder why folks get so hyped up on elections.

          • sunman42 says:
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            Alternately, you could take the British view: that civil servants are the repository of expert knowledge, and they’re there to carry out legal mandates until such time as the legislature changes them — regardless of party or political appointees.

            There’s a bug difference between governing and executing.

          • ThomasLMatula says:
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            Which is why it is good that the NSC is focused on getting the regulations for space development put in place instead of another “goal” for NASA that NASA will only give a superficial response to.

            Once the regulations are set up right then the bureaucrats will have a self interest in promoting the economic development of space just as FAA CST has a self interest in licensing spaceports and space launches.

        • sunman42 says:
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          It’s been different in recent years, but a while back the Chief Scientist position meant the provision of an office while the occupant prepared his/her resumé preparatory to leaving the Agency. I don’t believe that’s the case now, but the Acting Administrator has to do the job until an administration and.or Congress can come up with a confirmable candidate who wants the top job.

        • Johnhouboltsmyspiritanimal says:
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          or governors giving last minute pardons. yeah and if you were to take the job be it JSC center director or Chief Scientist are you on thin ice and limbo cause you don’t know if your goals mesh with the incoming administrator whenever they show up.

  3. ExNASA says:
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    Jim Green is a superstar and this is great for NASA. He has been a strong leader for planetary science and left a great legacy for his replacement.

    • fcrary says:
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      Let’s not get too over the top. He’s a good scientist and has done a fine job running the planetary science division. Given all the opinionated people who sometimes disagree and complain (myself included), doing a fine job is high praise. He’s also a nice guy in general.

      But a “superstar”? That’s a little bit of an exaggeration. It reminds me of the press conference at the time of the New Horizons Pluto encounter. The PR guy who introduced the panel described Drs. Bolden and Stern as “household names.” Really? At some point, I think exaggerated praise just starts being embarrassing.

  4. Michael Kaplan says:
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    Jim’s a great choice!