DoDBuzz: Tether Leaving DARPA: Rustan New Guy?

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Tether Leaving DARPA: Rustan New Guy?
By Colin Clark Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 12:27 pm
Posted in Intelligence, Policy, Rumors, Space

Tony Tether, head of DARPA since 2001, is leaving the agency and there is much speculation that one of the space industry’s most respected thinkers, and greatest innovators, is coming to head the agency.

Tether, without a doubt one of the most respected people to lead the Pentagon’s fount of good ideas and nifty new technologies, may be replaced by the NRO’s Pedro “Pete” Rustan, but there is no official word yet. Jan Walker, DARPA’s longtime spokeswoman, said this morning there is no official statement yet on a new director.

An intelligence community source said Rustan had received many calls when the news about Tether’s departure broke but that there were no solid indications the passionate director of ground systems planned to leave the NRO any time soon. One of the reasons that Rustan’s name is being bandied about with such abandon is that he recently wrote a letter to Aviation Week urging that DARPA expand its energetic research and development efforts “beyond defense.”


Rest of article at: http://www.dodbuzz.com/2009/02/10/tether-leaving-darpa-rustan-new-guy/?wh=wh