Dr. Bhavya Lal, the first associate administrator for technology, policy, and strategy at NASA Headquarters in Washington, announced that her last day in office will be Friday, July 28, concluding more than two years of service in the post. “Bhavya has helped shape the future of NASA, playing key roles in expanding our collaborations on nuclear p
Dr. Bhavya Lal, the first associate administrator for technology, policy, and strategy at NASA Headquarters in Washington, has announced that her last day in the office will be Friday, July 28, concluding more than two and a half years of service at the agency.
“Bhavya has helped shape the future of NASA, playing key roles in expanding our collaborations on nuclear propulsion, developing a planetary defense strategy, and much more,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Her leadership during the early days of the Biden-Harris Administration helped ensure NASA’s continuity of purpose. On behalf of the NASA family, I want to thank Bhavya for her public service.”
Since 2021, Lal has overseen a team in the Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS) tasked with providing evidence-driven analysis on a wide variety of policy issues, strategic planning, and technology investments.
“Bhavya has provided evidence-driven guidance on NASA’s external and internal policy issues, strategic planning, and technology investments and has done so with unmatched drive and integrity,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “From Artemis to orbital debris, it’s hard to identify agency priorities that Bhavya did not contribute to during her time at NASA. Her counsel has helped us identify near- and long-term challenges and alter the trajectory of this agency.”
Lal served as a leader at NASA from the start of the Biden-Harris Administration. Prior to her role as associate administrator for OTPS in the Office of the Administrator, she was the agency’s acting chief of staff during the administration’s first 100 days, leading the transition team for NASA, and served as the acting chief technologist for the agency, the first woman to hold that position in NASA’s history. Before arriving at NASA, she also served on the Presidential Transition Agency Review teams for both NASA and the Department of Defense.
As a longtime, active member of the space technology and policy communities, she has been involved with the creation of many space-relevant policies over the past decade. For 15 years, Lal led strategy, technology assessment, and policy studies and analyses at the Institute for Defense Analyses’ Science and Technology Policy Institute. For her contributions to the space community, she was nominated and selected as a Member of the International Academy of Astronautics.
Effective Monday, July 31, NASA OTPS Deputy Associate Administrator Ellen Gertsen will serve as the office’s acting associate administrator.