Sun’s gravity goes much, much further out.
Twenty times further out than Voyager has
been is this region that we believe is the Oort
Cloud. Those are the leftover pieces of the
earliest formation of our solar system and the
birthplace of many of the comets we see.
We live in a vast place.”
After 37 years of traveling to
the outer reaches of our solar
system, they are reaching
what some call the edge
of the solar system. But that
point is just five percent
of the way to the outer
reaches of the Sun’s gravity.
RS: From being involved with developing and
utilizing new technology for science missions,
it was no surprise that you moved up to the
position of Deputy Director of the Planetary
Science Division at NASA Headquarters, only
to then later be promoted to the position
of the Deputy Chief Technologist for all of
NASA. What exactly does the Deputy Chief
Technologist do?
ADAMS: “What we do in the office of the
Jim Adams has been involved with the development and launch of more than two dozen
Chief Technologist for NASA is we look at
spacecraft during his career at NASA.
Credit: Dennis Bonilla
the goals of the agency. For example, we
want to put humans on Mars in 2035. That is
one of the things the President has asked for. We want RS: Of course getting to Mars depends on more than
to find all the asteroids that could threaten human technology. It also requires a Congress and President
populations here on Earth. That’s another thing the who support the project and give NASA the financial
President has asked for. We look at our entire bag of resources through its annual budget that will allow
tricks, everything from ion propulsion and radioisotope NASA to reach those longterm goals. Something that
power systems, to advanced communications, sky you and the rest of the employees at NASA understand
cranes and rockets and such. We say to ourselves all too well as part of the process.
‘what are we going to need in 2035 in order to make ADAMS: “Yeah. That has very little to do with my
‘boots on Mars’ happen?’
career. I think it is important for readers, especially
The job of the Office of the Chief Technologist to of RocketSTEM, to understand that it is a privilege
make sure that the dollars we invest in technology stay for anybody to work for NASA. And that what we
well aligned with the objectives of the agency. That’s are doing is helping to make history for the United
a difficult job because we don’t actually control the States, and for the world at large. Often that involves
dollars. What we do is we influence the investment some rather heated and certainly public debate.
of the dollars. The other mission directorates, like the I think the public is entitled to that debate. People
Human Exploration Mission Directorate, is investing have opinions on what we ought to do, and it’s not
technology dollars in what they believe are the right easy coming to those decisions. I feel pretty strongly
places so that NASA can accomplish the goal as well. that even though sometimes the debate may look
We work with them making sure that the investments ugly, it’s worth having. That’s just a bit of Adams’
we’re making are the most effective so that when philosophy.”
General Bolden (NASA Administrator Charles Bolden) is
in front of Congress and says ‘Yes, we’re on track to put RS: Some people may feel that NASA has two distinct
humans on Mars in 2035,’ that it will become a reality.” divisions – a manned and an unmanned space program
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