The Planetary Society Appoints Dipak Srinivasan to Board of Directors

Pasadena, CA (May 10, 2021) — The Planetary Society, the world’s largest independent space interest organization, announces the appointment of Dipak Srinivasan to its board of directors.

Srinivasan is a principal staff member in the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory’s Space Exploration Sector. He is currently the lead communications subsystem engineer for NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, and is the external engagements lead for APL’s Civil Space Mission Area. He has served in various capacities on missions across our solar system, including the Sun, Mercury, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Pluto, and the Kuiper Belt.

“Dipak is passionate about exploring other worlds and he’s an outstanding engineer,” said Bill Nye, CEO of The Planetary Society. “He has excellent judgment and is an all-around delightful person. I’m excited to have him join our merry band as the newest member of our board of directors.”

Srinivasan brings impressive experience to the Society’s board as a leader of diverse teams on several spacecraft missions, including the MESSENGER mission to Mercury, the New Horizons mission to Pluto, the STEREO solar observatories, and the Van Allen Probes mission to study our planet’s radiation belts. An active STEAM advocate, Srinivasan regularly gives talks at schools to energize kids’ enthusiasm for both space science and engineering.

“I’m excited to be here,” said Srinivasan. “I know several of my space colleagues worldwide have been inspired by the great work The Planetary Society has done over the decades. I look forward to continuing to work with the wonderful people in the Society to help pass on that inspiration and to help educate everyone on the importance of space science and exploration.”

Srinivasan holds a bachelor’s and master’s in electrical engineering from Cornell University, and a master’s in applied physics from Johns Hopkins University. Prior to joining the board of directors, he served as a member of the Society’s advisory board starting in December 2017.

Responsible for governing and setting the organization’s policies and future directions, The Planetary Society’s volunteer board of directors is made up of leaders chosen for their passion for and knowledge of space exploration and business leadership.

The Board now comprises 12 appointees: Daniel T. Geraci, chairman; Bethany Ehlmann, president; Heidi Hammel, vice president; Bill Nye, CEO; Jim Bell, secretary; Lon Levin, treasurer; John Logsdon; Robert Picardo; Britney Schmidt; Dipak Srinivasan; Bijal “Bee” Thakore; and Fillmore Wood.