Belinda Wilkes to Step Down as Director of the Chandra X-Ray Center

Megan Watzke & Peter Edmonds, Chandra X-ray Center, Center for Astrophysics

Belinda Wilkes, who has served as Director of the Chandra X-ray Center (CXC) since 2014, will leave her position later this year. During Wilkes’s tenure, Chandra has served as NASA’s flagship for X-ray astronomy and delivered remarkable discoveries about the universe.

“From black holes to galaxy clusters to emerging fields like gravitational wave astronomy, Chandra is at the forefront,” said Wilkes. “I am very proud to have been part of that.”

Launched in 1999, Chandra is one of NASA’s “Great Observatories” (along with the Hubble Space Telescope and the no-longer-operating Spitzer Space Telescope and Compton Gamma Ray Observatory). The CXC at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) controls science and flight operations for Chandra from Cambridge and Burlington, Massachusetts. SAO is joined with the Harvard College Observatory to form the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA). NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program.

As Director, Wilkes oversaw many major accomplishments for the mission, including two highly successful Senior Reviews conducted by NASA, the move of the Chandra Operation Control Center to a new state-of-the-art facility, and the multifaceted celebration of the mission’s 20th anniversary for both the scientific community and the public.

“It has been a wonderful experience to work with and lead such an exemplary team,” said Wilkes. “The culture at the CXC, the excellent relationship with the Marshall Space Flight Center Project Office, and the commitment and dedication of the very talented staff combine to make this an excellent place to work and team to lead.”

Wilkes was at the helm during the hiring of many new staff, including for key senior positions, leading to an influx of talent, expertise, diversity, and energy into the CXC team. The Chandra Source Catalog Version 2 was released under her tenure, providing a greatly expanded resource to the scientific community, and she oversaw the extension of the CXC contract with NASA that will allow Chandra to continue to operate for nearly another decade and possibly beyond.

"Dr. Wilkes has led the CXC through several very significant challenges, including the relocation of the Chandra Operation Control Center," said CfA Director Charles Alcock, "and she has done so with grace and skill."

Wilkes will continue to serve as Director while a search for a new CXC Director is under way. The position posting can be found on the AAS Job Register.