Bhavya Lal, the Indian-American scientist who oversaw NASA's transition under President Joe Biden's administration, has been appointed as the Acting Chief of Staff of the US space agency. According to NASA, Lal brings "extensive experience" in engineering and space technology, serving as a member of the research staff at the Institute for Defence Analyses Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI) from 2005 to 2020. There, she led the analysis of space technology, strategy, and policy for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and National Space Council, as well as federal space-oriented organisations, including NASA, the Department of Defence, and the intelligence community, the US space agency said in a statement on Monday.