Dr. Kelly Fast

Kelly Fast is a Program Scientist in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters. She serves in the Planetary Defense Coordination Office which manages planetary defense related activities across NASA and coordinates with U.S. interagency and international efforts to study and plan a response to the asteroid impact hazard. She is the Program Manager for the Near-Earth Object Observations Program tasked with “finding them before they find us” and more. She is also the Program Scientist for NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility and the Coordinating Officer for the International Asteroid Warning Network. Kelly earned her bachelor’s degree in astrophysics at the University of California at Los Angeles and her master’s and doctorate degrees in astronomy at the University of Maryland at College Park. Known for belting out a song, Kelly loves science parodies and serving as a church instrumentalist and vocalist. Kelly is an Amateur Extra ham radio operator and a fan of Star Trek and Space:1999 (particularly Season 1!)