Rob Strain

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Rob D. Strain is an American aerospace executive who served as Director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center from August 4, 2008, to March 5, 2012. In January 2012, he announced his retirement from NASA to return to private industry. Before NASA, Strain led the Space Department at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland. He joined APL in 2004 as assistant Space Department head for operations, was later promoted to associate department head, and then became the department's managing executive. He has more than 25 years of aerospace experience, including leadership roles at Orbital Sciences, where he headed the Satellite and Electronic Sensors Divisions, and at Fairchild Space and Defense Company, where he served as chief financial officer and in other operations roles. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Western Michigan University. In March 2012, Strain joined Ball Aerospace & Technologies as Chief Operating Officer, held that role for about a year, and has served as President since March 2013.