Wesley T. Huntress, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Education | PhD in Chemical Physics |
| Alma mater | Brown University and Stanford University |
| Occupation | Space scientist |
| Years active | 1969 to present |
| Employer | Carnegie Institution |
| Known for | Developing solar system exploration programs for NASA |
| Title | Director Emeritus of the Geophysical Laboratory |
| Board member of | NASA Advisory Council |
| Awards | 1998 Carl Sagan Memorial Award |
Wesley T. Huntress, Jr. is an American space scientist. An astrochemist and space scientist, Huntress worked for about twenty years at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. During the 1980s, he was also a video game designer, producing games for Apple computers. In 1988, Huntress moved to NASA headquarters, where he would serve in several positions, including Director of NASA's Solar System Exploration Division and Associate Administrator for Space Science.
As a part of these positions, Huntress oversaw all NASA research missions to the planets and asteroids of the Solar System, including missions to Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn. Following his work with NASA, he became the director of the Geophysical Laboratory at the Carnegie Institution, and the president of The Planetary Society. He has also worked on the NASA Advisory Council, and is a public advocate for space exploration.