Solar physicist Nicola Fox has been appointed as the new science chief of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. Fox will take charge of over 100 projects and missions, including the forthcoming SunRISE mission, which involves a constellation of small satellites studying how solar energetic particles are released into interplanetary space. Before joining NASA in 2018, Fox was already an established solar physicist who studied the sun and the effects of solar wind on Earth. She was previously the head of NASA’s Heliophysics Division, where she oversaw the agency’s landmark Parker Solar Probe mission. Fox’s appointment makes her just the second woman to hold the position of NASA science chief on a non-interim basis.
Some of Fox’s accolades include the American Astronautical Society’s Carl Sagan Memorial Award and NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed his gratitude for Sandra Conelly’s interim leadership and praised Fox’s talents, expertise, and passion for solar exploration missions.
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate Gets New Chief, Solar Physicist Nicola Fox
Nicola Fox has been selected as the new associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, taking charge of over 100 projects and missions. She was previously the head of NASA’s Heliophysics Division, where she oversaw the agency’s landmark Parker Solar Probe mission.
Fox is now responsible for the $7 billion portfolio of projects that cover a wide range of scientific fields, such as how hurricanes form on Earth and the search for alien life. In her new role, Fox is also responsible for fostering an inclusive environment for diverse scientists and engineers across the United States.
Before joining NASA in 2018, Fox was already an established solar physicist who studied the sun and the effects of solar wind on Earth. Her work on the Parker Solar Probe mission, which orbits the sun closer than any other spacecraft, was instrumental in expanding NASA’s solar exploration missions.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson praised Fox, saying “I look forward to working with her as she brings her talents, expertise and passion to her new role.” Fox is only the second woman to hold the position of NASA science chief on a non-interim basis, following former astronaut Mary Cleave.
Under Fox’s leadership, the Science Mission Directorate will handle many important missions, including the forthcoming SunRISE mission. This project involves a constellation of small satellites or cubesats that will function as a radio telescope, studying how solar energetic particles are released into interplanetary space. The Heliophysics Division is also responsible for the Solar Dynamics Observatory, Solar Orbiter, and Solar Heliospheric Observatory missions, the latter two in collaboration with the European Space Agency.
Solar Physicist Nicola Fox Appointed as NASA’s New Science Chief
Nicola Fox, previously the chief scientist for heliophysics at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, has been selected as NASA’s new associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate. She takes over from interim science chief, Sandra Conelly.
Fox’s accolades include the American Astronautical Society’s Carl Sagan Memorial Award and NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal. In her previous role, she was the project scientist for the Parker Solar Probe.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed his gratitude for Conelly’s leadership during the interim period and praised Fox’s talents, expertise, and passion for solar exploration missions.
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