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Jim Green

James “Jim” Green

CEO, Space Science Endeavors

Jim Green is the Space Science Endeavor CEO and former NASA Chief Scientist. He worked at NASA for 42 years before retiring in December 2022. He received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Iowa in 1979 and worked at Marshall Space Flight Center, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), and NASA Headquarters. At GSFC Jim held several management positions in Space Sciences Directorate and was an instrument co-investigator and Deputy Project Scientist on several missions. During Jim’s at NASA Headquarters, he has been NASA’s Chief Scientist and was the longest serving director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division (PSD) with the overall programmatic responsibility for both planetary and Mars missions. During his tenure as PSD Director, he was ultimately responsible for extending Mars Odyssey, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, NASA’s portion of the ESA Mars Express Orbiter, and both Spirit and Opportunity rovers and launched Mars missions: MAVEN, Phoenix, Curiosity, InSight, and Perseverance. Jim has received the Exceptional Achievement Medal for the New Horizons flyby of the Pluto system and the Distinguish Service Medal, NASA’s highest honor. He has written over 125 scientific articles in refereed journals and over 80 technical and popular articles. In 2015, Jim coordinated NASA’s involvement with the film The Martian. In 2017 Asteroid 25913 was renamed Jamesgreen in his honor.

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