Robert D. Braun

Who is Robert D. Braun?

Dr. Robert D. Braun, an American aerospace engineer, is the David and Andrew Lewis Professor of Space Technology at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Braun received his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1987, his M.S. in Astronautics from George Washington University in 1989, and his Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1996 from Stanford University and worked on a variety of advanced planetary exploration concepts at the NASA Langley Research Center from 1987-2003. He worked on the Mars Pathfinder mission from 1992–1997.

In February 2010, Braun was named by NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Jr. as the Agency's Chief Technologist. In this capacity, he created and staffed the NASA Office of the Chief Technologist, formulated the NASA Space Technology program and advocated for the budget necessary to advance cutting-edge technology applicable to NASA's future missions. Braun announced his resignation as NASA's Chief Technologist on September 6, 2011 and left the Agency on September 30, 2011. He is now a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology.