Dr. Alan Stern is a distinguished planetary scientist and pioneering space explorer renowned for his leadership in solar system exploration. He currently serves as Associate Vice President and Special Assistant to the President at Southwest Research Institute since 2009, the largest nonprofit research and development organization in the United States, having previously served as executive director of the Space Science and Engineering Division before 2007. Stern earned his undergraduate degrees in physics and astronomy from the University of Texas, followed by a Master's in aerospace engineering, and completed his PhD in astrophysics at the University of Colorado in 1989. His distinguished career includes significant leadership roles at NASA, where he served as Associate Administrator of the Science Mission Directorate, overseeing the agency's $5 billion annual science research and mission portfolio.
Dr. Stern is best known as the principal investigator of NASA's New Horizons mission, which executed the first-ever exploration of Pluto in 2015 and subsequently conducted the first flyby of a Kuiper Belt object in 2019. This groundbreaking mission, which required over two decades of persistent advocacy and development, revolutionized our understanding of the Pluto system and extended humanity's exploration farther than ever before in history. Having developed eight scientific instruments for planetary missions and contributed to 29 space missions as a researcher including 14 as principal investigator, his work has significantly advanced knowledge of the Kuiper Belt, Oort cloud, comets, and planetary systems. The New Horizons mission represents one of the most significant and impactful space projects in history, fundamentally altering our understanding of the outer solar system and small planetary bodies.
Recognized for his exceptional contributions to space science, Dr. Stern has received numerous prestigious awards including the Carl Sagan Memorial Award for his public communication of planetary science. Beyond his research achievements, he has been instrumental in shaping the commercial space sector, serving in leadership roles at Moon Express, World View Enterprises, and as a consultant to major space companies including Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and SpaceX. His extensive publication record includes over 350 technical papers and numerous books including The Pluto System After New Horizons as lead editor. Most recently, Dr. Stern completed his first spaceflight with Virgin Galactic in November 2023 as the first NASA-supported researcher to fly on a commercial suborbital spaceflight, continuing his lifelong commitment to expanding the frontiers of space exploration and inspiring future generations of planetary scientists.
