New meantime leaders for NASA astrophysics and planetary science

WASHINGTON — Retirements and reassignments have resulted in a reshuffling of management in a part of NASA’s Science Challenge Directorate.

At a Jan. 12 assembly of 3 astrophysics committees all through the 245th Assembly of the American Astronomical Society, Mark Clampin, director of NASA’s astrophysics department, introduced he used to be now serving as performing deputy affiliate administrator for the science directorate. He replaces Sandra Connelly, who NASA mentioned closing fall used to be making plans to retire on the finish of the 12 months.

Clampin mentioned he permitted the one-year task to give a boost to the Science Challenge Directorate all through the transition to the brand new Trump management. “They’re very intense and take numerous paintings,” he mentioned of such transitions, recalling his revel in in a prior place as director of science at NASA’s Goddard House Flight Heart. “I believed that the chance to lend a hand [NASA Associate Administrator for Science] Nicky Fox as we undergo this era used to be one thing that may total give a contribution to the science that NASA does.”

Changing Clampin as NASA astrophysics director for that one-year duration shall be Shawn Domagal-Goldman, deputy director of the science and exploration directorate at Goddard. He famous on the similar assembly that he’s in “day unfavorable seven” of the location, which he officially begins subsequent week.

He stated that he and different officers within the astrophysics department had been coping with “uncertainty and alter” amid the presidential transition. “Each layer of control, from them the entire option to the highest of the government, goes to go through exchange by some means over the following month, and numerous uncertainty, too.”

The exchange in NASA’s astrophysics department comes days after a equivalent exchange in its planetary science department, or PSD. In a Jan. 9 group letter, Fox introduced that the company has employed Louise Prockter as performing planetary science department director, beginning within the spring. Prockter has been the manager scientist for the gap exploration sector on the Carried out Physics Laboratory and in the past used to be director of the Lunar and Planetary Institute.

The management of the planetary science department were in flux since closing Would possibly, when longtime director Lori Glaze took what used to be to be a six-month element as performing deputy affiliate administrator in NASA’s Exploration Programs Construction Challenge Directorate (ESDMD). On the other hand, in November, NASA introduced that Glaze would stay in that place in ESDMD completely.

Right through the element, Gina DiBraccio, deputy director of the heliophysics department at Goddard, served as performing planetary science director. Fox mentioned at a the town corridor assembly all through the yearly assembly of the American Geophysical Union in December that DiBraccio’s element may now not be prolonged and that she had returned to Goddard. As well as, Eric Ianson, deputy director of the planetary science department, introduced his retirement on the finish of the 12 months.

That supposed that Charles Webb, who had simply been employed to prevail Ianson as planetary science deputy director, used to be virtually instantly pressed into the function of performing department director. Fox mentioned on the the town corridor that Webb can be performing director for a “quick duration” sooner than bringing on any individual for a one-year element.

“Louise’s deep planetary science and organizational management revel in uniquely qualifies her for this crucial management place,” Fox wrote within the letter. “There are more than one main demanding situations in PSD that require a extremely skilled chief to navigate, together with the long run path of Mars Pattern Go back, making sure Dragonfly is able for release in 2028, and affirmation of NASA’s contribution to the ESA Rosalind Franklin Mars rover project.”

Fox, in the neighborhood letter, showed feedback on the previous the town corridor that the company will habits a contest to discover a everlasting department director.

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