Dr. Z’s Blog

Why I’m leaving NASA and the job I’ve loved most
Lukas Hefti Lukas Hefti

Why I’m leaving NASA and the job I’ve loved most

Stepping down well is an important leadership skill — and one that is rarely named or valued.

I will never forget standing in steamy French Guiana on 25 December last year as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) lifted into the sky on the Ariane 5 rocket. A fortnight later, I watched as the final wing of the telescope’s 18-segment primary mirror, the largest mirror ever built for space, seamlessly expanded into its fully deployed form. And months on, I looked — through teary eyes — at JWST’s first images. I was one of the first people on Earth to see the infrared Universe in high resolution.

For more than six years I have had a front-row seat for NASA’s science programme. Now it is time to give my seat to someone else…

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Countdowns
Lukas Hefti Lukas Hefti

Countdowns

Here at NASA, we do countdowns all the time. Usually, it is towards a new beginning, a launch into space. Mine has been different: I have become accustomed to silently googling “days till 12/31” and seeing this number slowly dwindle as I get closer to the end or my time at NASA. The number is 33 days today, and I am getting anxious about the number dropping even further and getting to zero.

It has been several months now since I announced that I am leaving NASA. And, although I am sure it was the right decision, I have not been ready for the emotional roller coaster that decision has come with. On the one hand…

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Upcoming JPSS-2 and LOFTID Launch
Lukas Hefti Lukas Hefti

Upcoming JPSS-2 and LOFTID Launch

I am often asked about my favorite mission during my 6+ years at NASA, and I struggle with this question.

Should I talk about the historic achievement that has become reality called JWST, or the “SciFi made real” mission called Perseverance, with its flying companion Ingenuity? The rover is about to deposit a collection of carefully curated samples for return to Earth, the first time ever. Do I say the mission to touch the Sun, Parker Solar Probe, the first mission ever seen launched by the person it is named after? Or, DART, the mission speaking to everyone’s inner gamer, deliberately changing the orbit of a celestial object for the first time in history with a spectacular celestial crash…

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Reflections on Webb’s First Full-Color Images
Lukas Hefti Lukas Hefti

Reflections on Webb’s First Full-Color Images

What a week, one of my favorites during my nearly six years at NASA! It was such an amazing week because it was the culmination of decades of determination and overcoming challenges that led to one of the biggest and unquestioned successes.

Years of hard work and the efforts of thousands of people across the globe led us to the release of the first full-color images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope on July 12. The reaction from people around the globe…

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10 Things to Look Forward to in Science This Year
Lukas Hefti Lukas Hefti

10 Things to Look Forward to in Science This Year

It is hard to beat the collective achievements of NASA’s science teams, especially over the past year. We’ve landed on Mars, flown the first helicopter beyond our world, launched and deployed the most magnificent science mission ever conceived, observed our home planet, and so much more. Learners of all ages and those looking for hope during a bleak time saw almost unmatched excitement as teams across NASA worked to realize tremendous feats of exploration. These achievements are historic and you may rightly ask…

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NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has reached its final destination. Let's celebrate the team that got it there (op-ed)
Lukas Hefti Lukas Hefti

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has reached its final destination. Let's celebrate the team that got it there (op-ed)

Thousands of people worked hard to get Webb where it is today.

There is a new speck of light in the sky right now, best observable from Earth around midnight. This blurry speck — dim as it may be, small as it may be — represents the grit and unity of thousands of people who worked together to place it in the heavens.

That light is reflecting down to us from the most magnificent space telescope ever devised by humans. After being folded up into a rocket and launched into space…

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