NASA Chief Technologist

Bhavya Lal
NASA (acting) Chief Technologist
Appointed
Assumed office 2021
Preceded by	Douglas Terrier

The Chief Technologist is the most senior technology position at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Chief Technologist serves as the principal advisor to the NASA Administrator in technology policy and programs, and as interface to the national and international engineering community.^[1] The position helps "communicate how NASA technologies benefit space missions and the day-to-day lives of Americans."^[2]

The Chief Technologist position was created to advise the NASA Administrator on budget, strategic objectives, and current content of NASA's technology programs. The Chief Technologist works closely with appropriate representatives of the NASA Strategic Enterprises and the Field Centers, as well as advisory committees and the external community. The Chief Technologist represents the Agency's technology objectives and accomplishments to other federal agencies, industry, academia, other government organizations, the international community, and the general public. "The Chief Technologist leads NASA technology transfer and technology commercialization efforts, facilitating internal creativity and innovation." He also "coordinates, tracks and integrates technology investments across the agency and works to infuse innovative discoveries into future missions."^[2]-

The position was created in 2010 by NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden.^[3] The first three Chief Technologists were aerospace engineering professors whose universities (specified below) entered into an intergovernmental personnel agreement with NASA. Douglas Terrier, was the NASA Johnson Space Center Chief Technologist before becoming the Agency Chief Technologist.

On November 1, 2021 the Office of the Chief Technologist and the Office of Strategic Engagements and Assessments were merged into the new Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS). Bhavya Lal was appointed to serve as OTPS’s new Associate Administrator. The role of the NASA Chief Technologist was changed to one of a staff position in the newly created OTPS. Douglas Terrier was reassigned to NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston to serve in a newly created position as the associate director for vision and strategy. Lal served as acting chief technologist. ^[4]

On January 3, 2023 A.C.Charania started his role as the Agency Chief Technologist. Before joining NASA, Charania served as vice president of product strategy at Reliable Robotics. He previously worked in strategy and business development for the Virgin Galactic (now Virgin Orbit) LauncherOne small satellite launch vehicle program. He also served in multiple management and technology roles at SpaceWorks Enterprises, including helping to incubate two startups, Generation Orbit and Terminal Velocity Aerospace.^[5]

• Bobby Braun of Georgia Tech, February 3, 2010 to September 30, 2011^[6][7][3]
• (Acting) Joseph Parrish, October 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011 ^[3][8][9]
• Mason Peck of Cornell, January 1, 2012 to 2013^[2][10][11]
• Dave Miller of MIT, March 2014 to 2016^{[12][13][14][15][16]}
• (Acting) Dennis J. Andrucyk, 2016 to January 17, 2017^[17][18][19]
• Douglas Terrier, 2017 to October 31, 2021^[20][21][4]
  • Terrier served as Acting Chief Technologist from 2017 to 2018^[22][23]
• Bhavya Lal, was the acting Chief Technologist from November 1, 2021 to January 3, 2023^[24]
• A.C. Charania, is the Agency Chief Technologist from January 3, 2023 to present^[25]

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