Makenzie Lystrup, who became the first woman in Nasa’s history to be appointed the director of Goddard Space Flight Center took an unusual oath to take control of her responsibilities. Makenzie Lystrup swore her oath on a copy of Carl Sagan’s 1994 book Pale Blue Dot rather than the customary use of the Bible. This appears to be the first time someone has taken an oath on a book by Sagan, despite the fact that many officeholders around the nation have done the same with books by Dr. Seuss, the US Constitution, copies of the Quran, or other texts. ()
“Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space” is a 1994 book
“Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space” is a 1994 book by the astronomer inspired by the famous Pale Blue Dot photograph of planet Earth taken in 1990 by the Voyager 1 space probe from a distance of about six billion kilometers. “I’m humbled and honored to lead such an amazing and diverse world-renowned team,” Dr. Lystrup said. “To build upon our legacy, I’m keenly focused on growing the next generation of innovators along with ensuring our team has the resources and tools to advance technologies and make new discoveries that boost the space economy and benefit us all,” she said. “Makenzie is a natural leader, bringing to Goddard a scientist’s drive for discovery along with a wealth of industry experience and knowledge,” said the space agency’s administrator Bill Nelson.
“As center director, she will lead a world-renowned team of scientists, engineers, and technologists focused on Earth and space science,” he said. “Under her leadership, the Goddard workforce will continue to inspire, innovate, and explore the unknown for the benefit of all.” Dr. Lystrup served as Ball Aerospace’s vice president and general manager of civil space prior to joining NASA, where she oversaw contributions to a number of missions, including the James Webb Space Telescope, Landsat 9, and the Roman Space Telescope.
