Guwahati: An Indian-American expert in the aerospace sector A.C. Charania has been selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as the next chief technologist to assist Administrator Bill Nelson on technological policy and projects at the space agency’s headquarters in Washington.
According to a statement released by NASA on Monday, AC Charania will manage technological engagement with other federal agencies, the private sector and external stakeholders. He will also coordinate agency-wide technology investments with mission requirements across six mission directorates.
The position works within NASA’s Office for Technology, Policy, and Strategy.
“Technology plays a vital role in every NASA mission. Making sure that we’re pursuing the best policy objectives allows this agency to continue to serve as a global leader in innovation. Charania is an experienced leader in managing large, rapidly shifting technology portfolios. I am eager for him to apply his knowledge and enthusiasm at NASA,” Bhavya Lal, NASA associate administrator for technology, policy and strategy, was quoted as saying in the statement.
Prior to joining NASA, Charania worked for Reliable Robotics a company that seeks to introduce approved autonomous vehicles into commercial flight, as vice president of product strategy.
In the past, he has also contributed to the development of Blue Origin’s plan for lunar permanence, the Blue Moon lunar lander programme and numerous technical efforts with NASA.
For the LauncherOne small satellite launch vehicle programme at Virgin Galactic (now Virgin Orbit), Charania has also worked in strategy and commercial development.
According to the press release, Charania was a NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts fellow and a member of the Commercial Advisory Board for the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group. He also oversaw the establishment of the FastForward industry group, which is devoted to high-speed point-to-point transportation.