[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 102 (Wednesday, June 17, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2890-S2891]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO CHRISTOPHER J. SCOLESE

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and celebrate 
the career of an outstanding civil servant Dr. Christopher J. Scolese, 
who will retire this summer after nearly five decades of government 
service, most recently as the Director of the National Reconnaissance 
Office. Dr. Scolese has shaped U.S. leadership in space across civil 
and national security domains, leaving an indelible mark on the 
Nation's aerospace and national security capabilities, as well as the 
people and culture of the Nation's space community.
  Dr. Scolese began his government career in 1978 as a U.S. naval 
officer in the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. His work focused on 
developing sophisticated instrumentation and multiprocessor systems for 
naval and Department of Energy applications while serving at Naval Sea 
Systems Command. Dr. Scolese was personally selected by Admiral Hyman 
Rickover for assignment to Naval Reactors, where he contributed to 
advancing nuclear propulsion technology until completing his Active-
Duty service in 1983.
  Following a period of service working in government and industry, Dr. 
Scolese joined NASA, where he was assigned to the Goddard Space Flight 
Center in Greenbelt, MD. He held multiple senior leadership roles at 
NASA, including chief engineer, Associate Administrator, Acting 
Administrator, and director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. His 
impact on the Nation's civil space program has been profound and 
enduring, from guiding NASA through the retirement of the Space Shuttle 
and early planning for what became the Artemis Program, to overseeing 
milestone achievements at Goddard, including the Earth Observing System 
and the buildout of the James Webb Space Telescope.
  As the first Senate-confirmed Director of the National Reconnaissance 
Office, Dr. Scolese led the NRO from 2019 through 2026 in its mission 
of developing, acquiring, launching, and operating U.S. space-based 
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Serving 
under three Presidential administrations, he has championed the most 
comprehensive technological transformation in the NRO's 65-year 
history.
  Under Dr. Scolese's leadership, the NRO significantly advanced 
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance technology. The agency 
expanded

[[Page S2891]]

its overhead capabilities to improve the capacity and precision of its 
collections and make it harder for America's adversaries to hide. In 
just a few years, the NRO put more than 200 satellites on orbit--most 
as part of a proliferated architecture that enables users, including 
warfighters, analysts, policymakers, and international allies to get 
reliable information when they need it.
  Under Dr. Scolese's leadership, the NRO has strengthened partnerships 
with other government Agencies, industry, academia, and international 
allies. The Agency has also expanded its relationships with new and 
existing commercial partners.
  Perhaps most importantly, Dr. Scolese's legacy extends beyond 
technological achievement to the thousands of professionals he has 
mentored, developed, empowered, and inspired across NASA, the NRO, and 
the broader space community. He recognized that America's competitive 
advantage in space depends on its people, leading him to expand 
recruitment pipelines, strengthen professional development programs, 
and create opportunities for emerging talent. His commitment to 
workforce excellence is reflected in the NRO's expanded Cadre program 
and highly competitive internship initiative, ensuring that the next 
generation inherits not just advanced capabilities, but the expertise 
and dedication required to maintain and further expand them.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Dr. Scolese for his 
valuable contributions to the space community over his decades of 
service to the Nation. I also thank Chris' family for their critical 
role in supporting him throughout this time. Dr. Scolese leaves a 
legacy of leadership across national security and civil space, one that 
has profoundly shaped the future of space exploration and intelligence 
capabilities for generations to come. On behalf of myself and all my 
colleagues on the Senate Intelligence Committee, I congratulate Dr. 
Scolese on the occasion of his retirement and wish him well in his 
future endeavors.

                          ____________________