Feb 25 2009

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NASA named Arthur F. “Rick” Obenschain, Deputy Director of NASA’s GSFC in Greenbelt, Maryland, to lead the Mishap Investigation Board (MIB) for the 24 February OCO launch failure. As Chair of the MIB, Obenschain would lead four yet-to-be-named members, tasked with gathering information, analyzing the facts, identifying the launch failure’s causes and contributing factors, and making recommendations for actions to prevent a similar incident. As Deputy Director of GSFC, Obenschain shared responsibility for executive leadership and overall direction and management of the Center, in addition to providing executive oversight and technical evaluation for development and delivery for Goddard space systems launches and operations. Previously, Obenschain had headed the Flight Projects Directorate, where he had been responsible for the daily management of more than 40 space and Earth science missions.

NASA, “NASA Names Chairman for Orbiting Carbon Observatory Investigation,” news release 09-041, 25 February 2009, http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/feb/HQ_09-041_OCO_Chairman.html (accessed 28 February 2011); Space.com, “NASA Names Chief for Launch Failure Investigation,” 25 February 2009, http://www.space.com/2930-nasa-names-chief-launch-failure-investigation.html (accessed 2 March 2011).

NASA announced its selection of Einstein, Hubble, and Sagan Fellowships in three areas of astronomy and astrophysics. Each postdoctoral fellowship would provide support to the awardees for three years at any host university or research center in the United States. Jon Morse, Director of the Astrophysics Division in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD), described the recipients as among the best and brightest young astronomers in the world, who had already contributed significantly to studies of how the universe works, the origin of the cosmos, and whether life exists beyond Earth. Morse described the fellowships as a springboard for scientific leadership, as well as an inspiration for the next generation of students and researchers. NASA awarded 10 fellowships in the Einstein program, to conduct research related to NASA’s Physics of the Cosmos Program; 17 fellowships in the Hubble program, to pursue research associated with NASA’s Cosmic Origins Program; and five fellowships in the Sagan program, which NASA had created in September 2008, in alignment with its Exoplanet Exploration Program.

NASA, “NASA Announces 2009 Astronomy and Astrophysics Fellows,” news release 09-040, 25 February 2009, http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/feb/HQ_09-040_Astro_fellows.html (accessed 28 February 2011).

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