People Briefs

NASA's strategic communications chief leaving

NASA Chief of Strategic Communications Robert Hopkins announced June 30 that he will be leaving the agency for a position in the private sector.

Hopkins served as a senior adviser to Deputy Administrator Shana Dale and as assistant administrator for the recently established Office of Communications Planning before assuming the strategic communications role. In these positions, he led the formulation of a strategic communications framework and implementation plan for the agency that provided a foundation for activities including planning for NASA's 50th anniversary in 2008. Hopkins also implemented several management initiatives, including a communications portal and tool kit and an agency-wide Communications Coordinating Committee to better integrate communications across NASA. He also developed plans to broaden understanding of NASA's work and mission through outreach efforts such as NASA Future Forums and the NASA Lecture Series.

"Bob is innovative and empowers his people to think outside the box," Dale said. "He and his team have developed message themes that resonate with the American public and figured out creative, new ways to deliver those messages. He will be missed."

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin named Chris Shank as acting chief of strategic communications. Shank currently serves as the director of strategic investments in the Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation. Prior to joining NASA in 2005, Shank served as a professional staff member on the House Subcommittee for Space and Aeronautics, and held a variety of positions in the U.S. Air Force and at the National Reconnaissance Office.

Astronaut James Reilly Leaves NASA

Veteran space shuttle astronaut James Reilly has left NASA to accept a position in the private sector. Reilly flew on three space shuttle missions to two space stations.

"Jim Reilly performed superbly as an astronaut over the course of his career at NASA," Astronaut Office chief Steve Lindsey said. "His technical, operational and people skills contributed directly to the success of the space shuttle and International Space Station programs. He was a key leader in the Astronaut Office and will be missed."

Reilly's spaceflight experience includes more than 853 hours in space. He has conducted five spacewalks, totaling more than 31 hours.

Selected as an astronaut in 1994, Reilly first flew in January 1998 aboard shuttle Endeavour's STS-89 mission, the eighth shuttle mission to visit the Russian space station Mir. He next flew in 2001 on STS-104 aboard shuttle Atlantis, performing three spacewalks during that flight to install the joint airlock on the International Space Station. Reilly again flew on Atlantis in 2007 on STS-117, performing two spacewalks for construction and repair of the International Space Station.

Teacher in space to Leave NASA

Veteran space shuttle astronaut Barbara R. Morgan will leave NASA in August to become an educator at Idaho's Boise State University.

NASA's first educator astronaut, Morgan logged more than 305 hours in space aboard shuttle Endeavour's STS-118 assembly mission to the International Space Station in August 2007. She operated the shuttle and station robotic arms to install hardware, inspect the orbiter and support spacewalks. Morgan also served as loadmaster for the transfer of supplies between the shuttle and station, taught lessons from space to schoolchildren on Earth and served on the flight deck during re-entry and landing.

"Barbara has served NASA and the Astronaut Office with distinction over the course of her career," Astronaut Office chief Steve Lindsey said. "From the Teacher in Space Program to her current position as a fully qualified astronaut, she has set a superb example and been a consistent role model for both teachers and students. She will be missed."

Morgan previously served as the backup to payload specialist Christa McAuliffe in the Teacher in Space Program. McAuliffe and six fellow astronauts lost their lives in the Challenger accident on Jan. 28, 1986. Morgan, who was an elementary schoolteacher in McCall, Idaho, before being selected as McAuliffe's backup, returned to teaching after the accident. She was selected to train as a mission specialist in 1998 and named to the STS-118 crew in 2002.

"It is really tough to leave NASA," Morgan said. "It is a great organization with great people doing great things. We're going back to the moon and on to Mars. I'm especially proud that we have three other teachers who are astronauts, and there will be others in the future. I'm very excited to go to work for Boise State University. I like everything about it, and it's going to be wonderful helping exploration by working full time for education."

Three other educator mission specialists, Richard Arnold, Joseph Acaba and Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, are training for future spaceflights. Arnold and Acaba are assigned to fly on the STS-119 space shuttle mission to the station in 2009.

Morgan will serve as Distinguished Educator in Residence at Boise State, providing vision and leadership to the state of Idaho on science, technology, engineering and math education.