Dr. David Grinspoon (1989) was selected as a member of the 16-member NASA independent study team on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP). The 9-month long study began on Oct. 24 and will focus on unclassified data. The team will release its findings in 2023.

Dr. Grinspoon is a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute and is a member of science teams for several interplanetary spacecraft missions including the DAVINCI mission to Venus. He is the former inaugural Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology. His research focuses on comparative planetology especially regarding climate evolution and the implications of habitability on Earth-like planets. He was awarded the Sagan Medal by the American Astronomical Society and he is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is also an adjunct professor of Astrophysical and Planetary Science at the University of Colorado (Boulder) and Georgetown University.