Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Credit: JPL/Caltech

Starting in May 2022, a new director took the reins of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. The lab is home to milestone making spacecraft that have plumbed the inner and outer worlds of our solar system, but has also suffered missteps too.

Laurie Leshin is the first woman to serve as JPL director, a role that also includes serving as Vice President at Caltech, which manages JPL for NASA.

Credit: JPL/Caltech

Now the helmswoman at JPL, Leshin sees opportunities to leverage JPL’s leadership in robotic space exploration and a diversity of other areas. But doing so could be like herding cats. She advocates having the lab branch out beyond traditional collaborators, partners, and colleagues to also embrace today’s non-traditional ecosystem of space players and providers.

Go to my SpaceNews interview with Leshin – “Finding balance within the space ecosystem: Q&A with JPL Director Laurie Leshin” – at:

https://spacenews.com/finding-balance-within-the-space-ecosystem-qa-with-jpl-director-laurie-leshin/