Planetary Scientist Honored for Contributions to Solar System Exploration
SAN ANTONIO — Planetary scientist Dr. Alan Stern has been named a Fellow of the American Astronomical Society (AAS). The designation recognizes Stern for his research into the outer solar system, his work in astronomical instrumentation, and his sustained contributions to space exploration.
Stern serves as Associate Vice President in the Space Sector at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas. The AAS Fellowship is an honor conferred annually upon less than 0.5 percent of the society's global membership.
"Fellows are recognized for their original research and publications, innovative contributions to astronomical techniques or instrumentation, significant contributions to education and public outreach, and other noteworthy service to astronomy," the society stated in its official announcement.
Leading Historic Outer Solar System Reconnaissance
Stern is best known as the Principal Investigator of NASA's historic New Horizons mission. Launched in January 2006, the spacecraft conducted humanity's initial reconnaissance of the Pluto system in July 2015, capturing high-resolution images and planetary data. New Horizons subsequently completed a flyby of the Kuiper Belt object Arrokoth in January 2019, marking the farthest exploration of a solar system object in spaceflight history.
Over a career spanning four decades, Stern has participated in executive and scientific roles across 30 space mission teams for NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). From 2007 to 2008, he served as Associate Administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, directing 93 flight projects and managing thousands of scientific research grants.
Career Highlights and Executive Service
- National Advisory Roles: Appointed member of the U.S. National Science Board since 2018.
- Suborbital Research: Flew as a commercial suborbital researcher aboard Virgin Galactic's Unity spacecraft in November 2023.
- Commercial Spaceflight Leadership: Served twice as board chairman of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation.
Institutional Legacy and Ongoing Operations
Stern credited his research teams and institutional colleagues upon receiving the distinction. "I am deeply honored and humbled to be named an AAS Fellow," Stern said. "I owe the lion's share of my professional success to Southwest Research Institute."
Under Stern's ongoing leadership, the New Horizons spacecraft continues to collect space physics and astrophysical data from its position deep in the Kuiper Belt.