The Honorable Daniel S. Goldin is an entrepreneurial and scientific visionary, distinguished by his role as NASA’s longest-tenured Administrator, serving from April 1992 to November 2001 under three U.S. Presidents: George H.W. Bush, William Jefferson Clinton, and George W. Bush. As the founder of Cold Canyon, an innovation advisory company, and as a senior advisor to Cerberus Capital Management, his career encompasses space exploration and science, aeronautics, air traffic management, national security systems, semiconductors, advanced sensors, hypersonics, communications, and artificial intelligence. With his extensive experience, Mr. Goldin is a highly sought-after leader in advancing American technologies and businesses.

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From a young age, Mr. Goldin pursued his passion for astrophysics, sparked at the age of seven when his father, Louis Goldin, first took him to New York City’s Hayden Planetarium. He has since nurtured an enthusiastic desire to help humanity understand the complex laws of nature and their own origins, dedicating his career to building America’s most technologically advanced astrophysical observatories of our time. Mr. Goldin has actively contributed to and led the design, development, deployment, and operations of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, Chandra X-Ray Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope rescue mission, Spitzer Infrared Space Telescope, and, most recently, the James Webb Space Telescope. In the mid-1990s, he guided the American astrophysical community and his NASA team to ensure that the Webb Telescope would have the capacity to see back to the beginnings of creation and the capability to explore the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe.

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In addition to these legendary achievements, Mr. Goldin is credited with the resurgence of NASA after the Cold War, diplomatically fostering East-West international cooperation in space and overseeing the redesign, construction, and initial operation of the $120 billion International Space Station. For a decade, he led the NASA team with his “Faster, Better, Cheaper” development philosophy, successfully launching a new generation of smaller, less expensive spacecraft that enabled extended exploration of our solar system, deeper observations of the known universe, and more precise observations of the physical and biological dynamics of our planet with the aim of enhancing the quality of life on Earth. In aerospace, Mr. Goldin’s philosophy led to the development of the X-43A Hypersonic Plane (Hyper-X Program), which set a Guinness World Record in 2004 for the fastest air-breathing aircraft at Mach 9.6, a record still held today.

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Mr. Goldin also spearheaded the early revolution in commercializing the space industry and transforming the American space business model to include more private sector participation. He worked diligently with leaders in the House and Senate to underscore the critical importance of engaging private American companies, venture capital, and private equity in enhancing the success of American space efforts. He guided the Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology program (ERAST), which aimed to develop cost-effective, slow-flying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of performing long-duration science missions above 100,000 feet, to champion small innovative companies. This approach contributed to the success of companies like Aurora Flight Sciences and AeroVironment. Under his new commercialization concept, NASA selected Orbital Sciences to build SeaStar, the world’s first privately owned environmental monitoring satellite. Mr. Goldin also promoted the involvement and accessibility of small, highly competent American businesses, leading to a more than doubling of funds awarded to small businesses working with NASA.

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Before his tenure at NASA, Mr. Goldin was Vice President and General Manager of the TRW Space and Technology Group—now Northrop Grumman—where he oversaw a broad range of advanced space and technology developments focused on producing critically needed systems and technologies to support America’s national security, scientific exploration of our solar system, space telescopes to observe our high-energy universe, and the development of advanced technologies for the global marketplace. Mr. Goldin began his career as a research scientist at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, working on electric propulsion systems to enable future human interplanetary travel.

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Mr. Goldin is a Member of the National Academy of Engineering, and the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics and the American Astronautical Society, and an Honorary Board Member of the Explorers Club. Mr. Goldin holds 18 Honorary Doctorates from some of the world's leading universities. In 2001, Mr. Goldin received the Goddard Memorial Trophy, the premier award from the National Space Club and Foundation. In April 2023, Mr. Goldin received the General James E. Hill Lifetime Space Achievement Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Space Foundation. In March 2024, Mr. Goldin received Aviation Week Network’s Laureate Lifetime Achievement Award and in April 2024, Mr. Goldin received The Explorers Club’s Buzz Aldrin Award.