John Grunsfeld, Ph.D.
Chief Strategy Officer John Grunsfeld is a former astronaut and Head of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
In his role as Chief Strategy Officer, Grunsfeld will spearhead the evolution and expansion of Copernicus’s innovative swarm satellite technology, fostering its adoption across civil, commercial, and national security domains. Grunsfeld has a distinguished career spanning numerous roles, including NASA astronaut, Associate Administrator for Science, and Chief Scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., overseeing pivotal programs and missions in space science and exploration. As Associate Administrator, his responsibilities included a $7B/year portfolio of Earth Science, Astrophysics, Planetary Science, Heliophysics, the James Webb Space Telescope, and the NOAA weather satellite program. Previously, he served as the Deputy Director of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, managing the science programs for the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope.
A veteran of five space shuttle flights, Grunsfeld has executed eight spacewalks, specifically on missions servicing and upgrading the Hubble Space Telescope. His commitment to advancing knowledge in planetary science and the quest for extraterrestrial life has earned him prestigious accolades, including induction into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2015 and awards such as the National Space Trophy and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.
“For the first time in human history we have the technology and the means to answer the question of ‘are we alone in the Universe?’ I am honored to join the leadership team at Copernicus to help advance innovative solutions for space exploration and the quest to find signs of life beyond Earth.”
