Indo-American space scientist Bhavya Lal has been appointed Acting Chief of Staff by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civilian space programme, as well as aeronautics and space research.
Lal is an active member of the space technology and policy community, having chaired, co-chaired, or served on five high-impact National Academy of Science committees.
The news of Lal's NASA promotion has garnered congratulatory messages from around the world, especially from India.
In an official statement NASA said that Lal brings extensive experience in engineering and space technology, serving as a member of the research staff at the Institute for Defence Analyses Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI) from 2005 to 2020.