Pat Slane Selected as Next Director of the Chandra X-ray Center
This post is adapted from a Chandra X-ray Center press release:
Patrick (Pat) Slane of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) has been named the next director of the Chandra X-ray Center (CXC), which controls science and flight operations for NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.
“We are thrilled to have Pat take over the reins of the CXC,” said Charles Alcock, director of the CfA, which encompasses the CXC. “It’s an extremely important job, but we are confident about placing Chandra under his very capable leadership.”
Slane will begin his new position on 28 September 2020. He has been involved with Chandra since before launch, including leading the mission planning team, and since 2015 he has also served as assistant director for science at the CXC. His research interests include the study of supernova remnants, young neutron stars, and pulsar wind nebulae.
“I have been working in high-energy astrophysics, and specifically X-ray astronomy, for much of my professional career,” said Slane. “It is an honor to be taking over as director of Chandra, which is one of the crown jewels of NASA and all of astrophysics.”
Slane will be succeeding Belinda Wilkes, who has served as the CXC director since 2014. "I am delighted that Pat will follow me as director of the CXC,” said Dr. Wilkes. “I have enjoyed working with him closely over many years, and I know that Chandra will be in safe and experienced hands.”
Chandra is one of NASA’s “Great Observatories” (along with the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and Compton Gamma Ray Observatory). Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in July 1999, Chandra recently celebrated its 21st year of successful operations and science return.
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, controls Chandra’s science and mission operations.