NASA's Science Mission Directorate is undergoing significant leadership changes following recent retirements and reassignments. Mark Clampin has stepped into the role of acting deputy associate administrator for the science directorate, succeeding Sandra Connelly, who retired at the end of the previous year. Clampin's one-year assignment aims to support the directorate during the transition to the new administration.
Shawn Domagal-Goldman, previously deputy director of the science and exploration directorate at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, will replace Clampin as the director of astrophysics, starting next week. Domagal-Goldman acknowledged the challenges posed by the ongoing changes within the division amid the presidential transition.
In a related development, Louise Prockter has been appointed as the acting director of NASA's planetary science division, effective this spring. Prockter previously served as the chief scientist for the space exploration sector at the Applied Physics Laboratory and was director of the Lunar and Planetary Institute.
The leadership transition in planetary science has been ongoing since last May when Lori Glaze took a detail in NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate. Following Glaze's permanent reassignment, several interim roles were filled, culminating in Charles Webb being appointed as acting division director.
Fox emphasized Prockter's extensive experience in planetary science as crucial for navigating significant challenges ahead, including the Mars Sample Return mission and the upcoming launch of the Dragonfly mission in 2028. NASA plans to conduct a competition for a permanent division director in the near future.