A.C. Charania, an Indian-American expert in the aerospace sector, has been appointed by NASA as its next chief technologist. He will be the agency's principal advisor on technology policy and programs at its headquarters in Washington.

In a statement to the press, Charania said, "The rate of advancement we seek in the 21st century is predicated upon selecting and maturing a portfolio of technologies into systems to accomplish our goals."

In his position, Charania will manage technological collaboration with other government agencies, the private sector, and external stakeholders in addition to coordinating NASA's agency-wide technology investments with mission needs across six mission directorates.

Given this, partnerships both inside and outside of NASA offer fantastic prospects. Charania said that he now eagerly awaits the chance to collaborate with the entire community to accelerate the speed of advancement in aviation and space.

In the past, he has also contributed to the development of Blue Origin's plan for lunar permanence, the Blue Moon lunar lander program, and numerous technical initiatives with NASA.

Before joining NASA, Charania worked as vice president of product strategy for Reliable Robotics, a company that strives to introduce approved autonomous vehicles to commercial aviation. In his present role, he will serve as principal advisor to Administrator Bill Nelson.

Administrator Bill Nelson will primarily receive advice from Charania. He worked for Reliable Robotics, a company that strives to introduce approved autonomous vehicles to commercial aviation, as vice president of product strategy before joining NASA.