Dr. Makenzie Lystrup
Director of Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA
Dr. Makenzie Lystrup is an American planetary scientist who made history as the first female director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (2023-2025). She earned her PhD in astrophysics from University College London (2008), specializing in Jupiter's atmospheric emissions. After serving as an NSF postdoctoral fellow and Congressional Science Policy Fellow, she spent nearly a decade at Ball Aerospace, rising to VP & General Manager of Civil Space, where she led major missions including James Webb Space Telescope and IXPE. A Fellow of AAAS and SPIE, she has been recognized for her scientific contributions and leadership in advancing space science and technology.
