| Doug McCuistion | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | USA |
| Fields | Science Management Astronomy |
| Institutions | U.S. Navy National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Science Mission Directorate - Planetary Science Division |
Doug McCuistion is the Director of the Mars Exploration Program, NASA’s science-driven program that seeks to understand whether Mars was, is, or can be a habitable world. As Director, he oversees the major science goals of the program, which include determining if life ever existed on Mars, characterizing the climate and geology of Mars, and preparing for human exploration of Mars.
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At NASA Headquarters, McCuistion was the Director of Flight Programs for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise. At the Goddard Space Flight Center, he worked on the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS), Geosynchronous Operations Environmental Satellite (GOES), Landsat, NEXUS (a James Webb Space Telescope precursor), and as a Deputy Director in the Information Systems engineering division. Prior to his career in space, Mr. McCuistion was commissioned as an Ensign from Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida and spent 13 years as an F-14 Tomcat RIO. McCuistion also worked on the Navy's Geodetic Satellite (GEOSAT) Follow-On mission. He retired from the Navy at the rank of Commander in 1998. Recently he has written about international collaboration in Mars exploration[1] and education and public outreach efforts in planetary science.[2]
McCuistion has been recognized with the rank of Meritorious Senior Executive, and was awarded two NASA Exceptional Achievement Medals, two Navy Commendation Medals, and a variety of NASA, Navy, and other agency individual and group achievement awards.