NASA Chief Technologist Reaches Out to Students

Earlier this month, NASA Chief Technologist Bobby Braun issued an inspiring open letter to college students.

In the letter, Braun described the challenging goals that President Obama has set for America’s space program, including “preparing new rockets and space vehicles for flight in the early part of the next decade, human exploration of an asteroid by 2025, and sending humans to orbit Mars by the mid-2030s, with Mars surface landings to follow.” NASA is also developing robotic systems that can explore the solar system; improving our ability to predict major storms and natural disasters; and fostering the emergence of a vibrant commercial spaceflight industry.

As Braun observed, meeting these ambitious goals will require the creativity and passion of the next generation of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs. I join him in urging our Nation’s most talented young people to embrace these goals.

Tom Kalil is Deputy Director for Policy in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy