NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Editor's Note: Christopher Scolese became NASA's Associate Administrator, effective July 31, 2007.

Image left: Christopher Scolese, NASA Associate Administrator. Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls.

As chief engineer, Christopher Scolese is responsible for the overall review and technical readiness of all NASA programs. NASA's Office of the Chief Engineer assures that the development efforts and missions operations are being planned and conducted on a sound engineering basis with proper controls and management.

Formerly, Scolese was the Deputy Director of the Goddard Space Flight Center where he assisted the Director, Dr. Edward Weiler, in overseeing all activities. He also served the Deputy Associate Administrator in the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters. In this position, he was responsible for the management, direction and oversight of NASA's space science flight program, mission studies, technology development and overall contract management of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Scolese also served as the EOS Program Manager and the Deputy Director of Flight Programs and Projects for Earth Science at the Goddard Space Flight Center. In this position he was responsible for the operation and development of all Earth Science missions assigned to the Goddard Space Flight Center. At Goddard, he also served as the EOS Terra Project Manager responsible for the development of all EOS-AM instruments, the CERES instrument for TRMM, the EOS-AM spacecraft, the interface with the Earth Science Data and Information System and the integration and launch of these elements. In addition, Scolese was the EOS Systems Manager responsible for the EOS system architecture and the integration of all facets of the project. During his tenure at Goddard, which began in 1987, he chaired the EOS Blue Team that re-scoped the EOS Program; he supported the EOS investigators in the development of the EOS payloads in the restructured EOS; and he has been responsible for the adoption of common data system architecture on EOS and some other earth orbiting spacecraft.

Prior to his 1987 appointment at Goddard, Scolese's experience included work in industry and government. While a senior analyst at the General Research Corporation of McLean, Va., he participated in several SDIO programs. He was selected by Admiral Hyman Rickover to serve at Naval Reactors where he was associated with the development of instrumentation, instrument systems and multi-processor systems for the U.S. Navy and the DOE while working for NAVSEA.

Scolese is the recipient of several honors including the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive, Goddard Outstanding Leadership, two NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) National Capital Section Young Engineer/Scientist of the Year award. He was recognized as one of the outstanding young men in America in 1986, was a member of college honor societies including Eta Kappa Nu and Tau Beta Pi, and was recipient of the 1973 Calspan Aeronautics award. He is an Associate Fellow of the AIAA and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He also served as a member of the AIAA Astrodynamics Technical Committee and chaired the National Capitol Section Guidance Navigation and Control Technical Committee.

July 2007