Rutgers Astronomer Kristen McQuinn Is Named Mission Head of Science Operations Center for NASA’s Next Space Telescope
February 22, 2024
The NASA instrument, to launch in 2026, will lead the search for dark energy
Rutgers astronomer Kristen McQuinn has been selected mission head for the Science Operations Center for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, an observatory designed to answer many scientific questions while deepening humankind’s understanding of dark energy – an unknown energy source causing the universe’s expansion to accelerate.
McQuinn will hold dual appointments, serving in the lead role while maintaining her post as assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the School of Arts and Sciences.
As mission head, a position she assumed in mid-January, McQuinn is responsible for the continued development and operations of the Roman Science Operations Center at NASA’s Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. As part of her duties, McQuinn also is working directly with a team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.