David D. Evans has been appointed as Mars Observer project manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, announced Walker E. Giberson, assistant laboratory director for flight projects.
Evans succeeds William I. Purdy Jr., who left JPL to accept position in industry. Purdy had been manager of the Mars Observer project since it was established in 1984.
Mars Observer is mission to study the surface, atmosphere and climate of Mars. It is scheduled for launch in August 1992.
Evans, who most recently was manager of JPL's Defense Program, joined JPL in 1958 as research engineer and has held many key management positions at the Laboratory.
Evans served as deputy manager and manager of the Liquid Propulsion Section. He was also deputy manager of the Control and Energy Conversion Division, manager of the Autonomous Spacecraft Project, deputy manager of the Defense Space Program and manager of the Pathfinder/Space Relay Experiment Projects.
A native of New Mexico, he was graduated from the University of New Mexico with bachelor's degree in chemistry and received second bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Colorado.
Evans and his wife, Nancy, are the parents of three children and reside in La Canada Flintridge, California.
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