NASA Administrator Charles Bolden held his first meeting with the restructured NASA Advisory Council recently at the agency's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. Bolden has added four new committees to the council in key areas of importance to the agency's future: Commercial Space, Education and Public Outreach, Information Technology Infrastructure, and Technology Innovation.

"I consider the NASA Advisory Council to be an extremely important external advisory group, one that is uniquely capable to advise me and the entire NASA senior leadership team on some of the important decisions our agency will face in the coming months and years," Bolden said. "I am confident that this new structure will serve as an effective forum to stimulate meaningful advice to me and the rest of NASA’s leadership."

The council's members provide advice and make recommendations to the NASA administrator about agency programs, policies, plans, financial controls and other matters pertinent to NASA’s responsibilities. The chairs for the council and its committees are:

NASA Advisory Council: Kenneth M. Ford
Aeronautics Committee: Marion Blakey
Audit, Finance and Analysis Committee: Robert M. Hanisee
Commercial Space Committee: Brett Alexander
Education and Public Outreach: Miles O'Brien
Exploration Committee: retired Air Force Gen. Lester L. Lyles
Science Committee: Wesley T. Huntress, Jr.
Space Operations Committee: former astronaut and retired Air Force Col. Eileen M. Collins
Technology and Innovation Committee: Esther Dyson

An appointment is pending for the Information Technology and Infrastructure Committee.

Raymond S. Colladay represents the National Academies' Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, and Charles F. Kennel represents the National Academies' Space Studies Board as ex officio members.

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