Dr. Lennard A. Fisk is a renowned scientist who has made significant contributions to the field of space science. His journey in the field began in 1969 when he joined NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. His interest in space science was sparked by the launch of the Sputnik satellite in 1957 when he was just 14 years old. Fisk completed his undergraduate degree in physics at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and began his graduate studies in space science at the same institution. His thesis adviser was the esteemed scientist Sir William Ian Axford, who was one of the early pioneer theorists in the field. When Axford moved to the University of California, San Diego, due to his dislike for the Ithaca winters, Fisk followed him and completed his degree there. Upon completion of his degree, Fisk chose to undertake a postdoctoral fellowship at Goddard, a decision he regarded as a good one due to the high level of activity and success in the space science program associated with Apollo and NASA during that period. He was hired by Frank B. McDonald, the director of the lab at that time, who was a significant influence on NASA's space science. Fisk's research style, which he inherited from Axford and Axford's thesis adviser, Sir Michael James Lighthill, involves creating explanations for new phenomena through imagination, finding analytic solutions and approximations, and then testing these against data. This approach has served him well throughout his career, and he has passed it on to his own students. In addition to his research, Fisk has also held administrative roles at NASA. He served as the Associate Administrator for Space Science, where he was responsible for constructing strategic plans around five actions: establishing a set of themes, a set of decision rules, and a set of priorities for missions and programs within each theme, demonstrating that the strategy can yield a viable program, and checking the strategy for consistency with resource constraints. His tenure coincided with a period of budget increase for NASA, which allowed for the advancement of various programs.

Scope and Content Note
September 8, 2010: This interview presents an in-depth conversation with Dr. Lennard Fisk, discussing his early career at NASA, including his postdoctoral fellowship at Goddard Space Flight Center and his research on cosmic ray propagation. Dr. Fisk shares his interest in studying the Sun and its powers and recounts a specific research experience related to anomalous cosmic rays. The narrative then shifts to a less pleasant period in Dr. Fisk's career at Goddard, which led him to leave for the University of New Hampshire. Here, he became involved in administration and played a significant role in establishing the university as a leader in Earth System Science. The interview further delves into the establishment of the Institute for the Earth, Oceans and Space at the University of New Hampshire, discussing the challenges faced in its development and the impact of NASA funding on the university's projects. Dr. Fisk also talks about his decision to take the Associate Administrator job at NASA and the changes happening at the agency during that time. He discusses the Earth Observing System and the challenges it faces in terms of funding and support. Dr. Fisk shares his experience as the NASA Associate Administrator, including challenges with the backlog of missions, the Hubble Space Telescope project, and the transition to a new Administrator. He also talks about the relationship between the science community and NASA and the impact of budget changes on space science initiatives. Fisk also discusses the launch and subsequent issues with the Hubble Space Telescope, including the discovery of spherical aberration in the mirror and the efforts to fix it. He touches on the challenges of selling new space science projects in a changing budget environment and the importance of data sharing in Earth science programs like EOS. Finally, Fisk shares the importance of identifying dominant feedback mechanisms in problem-solving, the challenges of handling large amounts of data in the EOS mission, the global and political implications of the Earth Science program, and the introduction of strategic planning to NASA. Dr. Fisk shares experiences of international collaboration and the development of the Vision 21 strategic plan.

September 9, 2010: Dr. Lennard Fisk provides an in-depth discussion on the impact of budget constraints on NASA's strategic plans for space science programs. He also elaborates on the influence of the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle program on the administration of space science programs. Dr. Fisk further delves into the challenges of selling new programs and the significant role of the science community in shaping NASA's priorities. The interviewee also shares his experiences with the development and launch of various space science projects, including the Hubble Space Telescope and the Magellan spacecraft. He provides insights into his interactions with the Department of Defense and the National Reconnaissance Office and his experiences working with the third NASA Administrator, Dan Goldin. He also discusses the challenges and successes of the space science program during this time period. Dr. Fisk recounts his experience working with a difficult administrator at NASA Headquarters, detailing the negative impact the administrator had on the organization and its employees. He also discusses the impact of certain programs and decisions on NASA's Earth science initiatives. After leaving his role at NASA, Dr. Fisk chose to return to his research career. The interviewee discusses his decision to retire from NASA Headquarters and return to research, as well as his experiences with advisory boards and testifying before Congress. He also shares anecdotes about interactions with Dan Goldin and congressional hearings. Dr. Fisk discusses his experiences with NASA, including his involvement in advisory committees and his views on the handling of science in the space exploration program. He also talks about his management style and the challenges faced during his time as an administrator. He expresses concerns about the prioritization of certain scientific disciplines and the impact of funding decisions on the agency. The interviewee discusses the impact of reorganizations on life science and microgravity research at NASA, as well as his current involvement with the agency. He also talks about teaching a space policy class and the challenges he has faced in his career. He also briefly mentions the decision to get rid of the Centaur for planetary missions and the impact of the Space Shuttle program on space science. Lastly, Dr. Fisk discusses the delays and the Challenger accident that caused a backlog of missions for the Shuttle, costing $2 billion. He provides a critical view of the Shuttle program, which was sold as cheap and frequent, but was a technological achievement despite its high cost. The Hubble Space Telescope and microgravity experiments depended on the Shuttle.