NASA has roped in Indian-American A.C. Charania as the new chief technologist to lead technology innovation. The aerospace expert will serve as the principal advisor to administrator Bill Nelson on tech policy and programs in the Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS) at its Washington headquarters.

“The rate of advancement we seek in the 21st century depends upon selecting and maturing a portfolio of technologies into systems to execute our missions,” said Charania, who is ready to foster space and aviation growth.

Before this, Charania was the vice president of product strategy at automated aviation company Reliable Robotics, where he led corporate strategy, including product fit, customer engagement and relevant market. He worked towards bridging the technical and commercial strategy functions aligning product design and customer needs. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Emory University as well as another bachelor’s and master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

As lunar campaign director at Jeff Bezos’ owned Blue Moon, where he supported the Advanced Development Programs (ADP) business unit to examine long-term architectures, review advanced concept studies, interface with partners to establish business relationships, lead proposal efforts, and work on special projects.

In his more than 20 years of experience, he also worked as a senior member of the strategy and business operations team of Virgin Galactic and asteroid mining company Planetary Resources and SpaceWorks Enterprises. 

Prior to joining NASA, Charania worked for Reliable Robotics, a firm that aims to introduce certified autonomous vehicles into commercial flight, as vice president of product strategy. In the past, he has also contributed to the development of Blue Origin’s strategy for lunar permanence, the Blue Moon lunar lander programme, and numerous technology collaborations with NASA.