Dr. David S. Draper

NASA Deputy Chief Scientist David Draper is an Earth and planetary scientist with 28 years of professional experience in studying the Earth, Moon, planets, and Solar System. These scientific studies explored frontier questions regarding characteristics, processes, and events of and on Earth, the Moon, and Mars. His scientific specialty is in experimental simulations at high temperatures and pressures, using basaltic magmas as probes of the processes occurring within planetary interiors. His prior experience includes leading the Astromaterials Research Office at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and he has also led teams proposing competed robotic missions of planetary exploration.