In this series of posts, we sit down with a few keynote speakers of the 245th AAS meeting to learn more about them and their research. You can see a full schedule of their talks here and read our other interviews here!
Dr Jason Kalirai’s journey to the stars began in the serene landscapes of British Columbia, Canada. Growing up in a small town surrounded by pristine night skies and the glow of the Aurora Borealis, he couldn’t help but wonder about the vast universe above. Those starlit nights sparked a passion for space that would guide him through a career filled with groundbreaking discoveries and ambitious missions.
Astronomy is awe-inspiring and also full of challenges. Dr Kalirai shares that it’s rewarding to “make incredible discoveries about the universe and understand our place in it.” And the constant pursuit of new knowledge keeps him going. “No matter how much research you do, there’s always more questions and more problems that turn up that you want to go after next.” This blend of discovery and curiosity encouraged him: “I’m as excited about the future of space science now as I’ve been at any point in my career.”
His interest in space began in high school when a teacher introduced him to the wonders of physics in space. This fascination led him to pursue a PhD at the University of British Columbia, where he studied white dwarf stars as a tool to explore various topics like stellar evolution, galaxy formation, the age of the universe, and more. After completing his studies, Dr Kalirai continued his impactful work during a Hubble Fellow postdoctoral appointment at UC Santa Cruz under the mentorship of Prof Raja GuhaThakurta, where he contributed to groundbreaking discoveries about the Andromeda galaxy. “We discovered the metal-poor halo of the Andromeda spiral galaxy, and that was a really exciting time for me.”
After spending over a decade researching, Dr Kalirai transitioned to leadership roles. At NASA’s Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), he played pivotal roles, including Deputy Project Scientist and later Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), as well as Multi-Mission Project Scientist for NASA’s flagship observatories, including Hubble Space Telescope (HST), JWST, Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. “I became really excited about not just doing my own research but helping to ensure that the community as a whole has a vibrant, exciting research program and that we’re successful in building and implementing new missions that are going to result in new data sets to expand that footprint.”
Today, Dr Kalirai is the Mission Area Executive for Space Formulation at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). He has led teams building and managing complex NASA missions. This includes the DART mission, which demonstrated humanity’s ability to deflect an asteroid, and the Parker Solar Probe, which explores the Sun’s outer atmosphere by “touching” the Sun directly. His expertise spans strategic planning, formulation of new ideas, mission execution, and mentoring future space leaders.
When asked why he gravitated toward management and leadership roles, Dr Kalirai emphasized the importance of personal growth and expanding his impact on space exploration. Leading diverse teams responsible for science, engineering, and mission implementation allowed him to “play a bigger role in shaping the nation’s space program,” which he found deeply fulfilling. Additionally, he saw these roles as an opportunity to broaden his expertise beyond astrophysics, a field he loves, into other areas of space science. “I felt that I was making a bigger contribution to fields like astrophysics, planetary science, and heliophysics than I would be if I were writing my own individual research papers.” He sees these roles as an opportunity to make broader contributions to science, technology, engineering, and in partnership with commercial industry.
Dr Kalirai also offers advice for aspiring astrophysicists. “Having the right mentor and project can make all the difference,” he says. Alongside technical skills, he encourages students to develop communication and leadership abilities, which are crucial for both academic and leadership roles. “Research is hard,” he notes, but starting early builds a solid foundation for success in graduate studies and beyond.
He also encourages students to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of space exploration. In the past, opportunities were mainly limited to academia or government-run space programs like NASA, but now, the commercial space industry has opened up new avenues. “The job market has kind of exploded,” urging students to stay informed about the major players in the commercial space sector and understand their strategies and capabilities, as this is closely linked to advancements in science.
At APL, where space science missions are the focus, a solid foundation in science is crucial, ensuring that decisions about programs and investments are guided by scientific impact rather than solely financial considerations. He also emphasized how credibility as an established scientist—publishing research, winning awards, mentoring, and building networks—adds unique value to leadership discussions. “Credibility opens doors,” he says. “Often when I’m in meetings with partners and commercial partners, I’m the only scientist in the room,” explaining how his expertise offers a distinct perspective that enriches decision-making in a management-heavy environment.
Dr Kalirai will discuss the DART mission at AAS245, where he’ll talk about how NASA is preparing for potential asteroid threats. “We get hit with asteroids all the time.” While most are small, burning up in the atmosphere as a flash of light, a large asteroid could have a catastrophic impact. The DART mission, which deliberately crashed into an asteroid to alter its path, is a step toward protecting Earth from future threats. The Planetary Defense program has three primary goals: to identify near-Earth asteroids that could pose a threat, to characterize them, and to develop technology to mitigate the impact if one is headed toward Earth. He will share the challenges of building such a mission, the surprising success of the test, and what it means for the future of planetary defense.
While the DART mission was groundbreaking, it’s just the beginning. He believes the future of the field is brighter than ever, with today’s students poised to answer some of the biggest questions facing us. This includes developing a tool kit of technologies and methods to deal with asteroids of different shapes, sizes, and warning times. And, of course, planetary defense is just one field. In space exploration, we are poised to address some of the biggest questions humanity has ever asked, such as, “Is there life out there?” These are the questions the next generation will lead us toward answering,” he says.
Don’t miss Dr Jason Kalirai’s plenary talk, “Punching Back Asteroids: The Deflection of Dimorphos by the DART Mission,” on Monday, January 13, 2025, at 3:40 PM ET—an exciting exploration of planetary defense and the groundbreaking DART mission!
Edited by: Nathalie Korhonen Cuestas
Featured Image Credit: AAS
