Paul Westmoreland, director of the Telecommunications and Mission Operations Directorate (TMOD) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has announced his retirement effective June 29. Westmoreland has served JPL for 37 years and will remain through December in an advisory role during the transition period.
Taking over the reins as director beginning June 30 will be Gael Squibb, who has served as the directorate's chief operations architect and as manager of data services for NASA's Space Operations Management Office since 1995. In the latter role, he manages all of NASA's tracking and communications assets.
Westmoreland, who joined JPL in 1960 as a research engineer, holds a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California and a master of engineering degree from UCLA. His JPL posts have included manager and group supervisor of the Deep Space Network (DSN) Data Systems Development Section and manager of both the Large Advanced Antenna System Project and the Mission Control and Computer Center Development Section.
From 1980 to 1990, he was manager of the Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Engineering Office, responsible for the design and implementation of the DSN. Westmoreland, who has served as both deputy director and, more recently, director of TMOD, has been honored with the prestigious NASA Exceptional Service and NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals.
Squibb, who holds a master of science degree in systems management from USC and a bachelor of science degree in physics from Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA, has served JPL for 30 years. His JPL posts have included acting ground system manager for the Cassini project, manager of the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, manager of the Infrared Astronomical Satellite Project, manager of the Mission Control and Sequence Systems Design Section and chief of mission operations of the Mariner Venus Mercury 1973 project.
Squibb has also served as manager of the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility Science Center at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and was assigned by JPL to the European Space Agency for two years to work on the Infrared Space Observatory Project. He has been honored with the prestigious NASA Exceptional Service and NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals.
The Telecommunications and Mission Operations Directorate is responsible for the development and operations of the worldwide Deep Space Network and the Advanced Multi-mission Operations System. It is also responsible for the operations of the Voyager, Ulysses, and Galileo flight missions; the Space Very Long Baseline Interferometry project; and the Frequency Management Program.
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