NASA Astronaut John Grunsfeld, Instrumental to Hubble Telescope Repair, Will Help Oversee its Science Operations
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WASHINGTON -- NASA astronaut John Grunsfeld, who participated in three
spaceflights to service the Hubble Space Telescope, is leaving the
agency to become the deputy director of the Space Telescope Science
Institute in Baltimore. The institute is the science operations
center for Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope, which is
planned for launch in 2014.
"During the past 18 years, John has been a true asset to the agency,"
said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, a former astronaut who flew
on the STS-31 mission that deployed the Hubble. "Some have called him
the chief Hubble repairman, but I call him a friend and wish him the
best in his new endeavor."
In addition to Grunsfeld's flights to Hubble (STS-103 in Dec. 1999,
STS-109 in March 2002, and STS-125 in May 2009), he also served on
two other shuttle missions. He performed eight critical spacewalks
and logged more than 835 hours in space.
During 2003 and 2004, he was NASA's Chief Scientist at the agency's
headquarters in Washington. He helped develop the Vision for Space
Exploration, which set NASA on the path for future exploration
endeavors.
In accepting the institute position, Grunsfeld said, "This is an
incredibly exciting opportunity for me to work at a focal point of
top astronomers at the leading edge of scientific inquiry. The team
at the Space Telescope Science Institute has a demonstrated record of
meeting the high performance challenges of operating the Hubble Space
Telescope and preparing for the James Webb Space Telescope. I look
forward to working with this excellent team as we continue to explore
the mysteries of the universe."
For Grunsfeld's biography, visit:
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/
For more information about the Hubble Space Telescope, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/hubble
Source: NASA
